The Apollo-Soyuz 145.022

The story

On July 17, 1975, an Apollo command module docked with a Soviet Soyuz capsule — the first joint US–Soviet crewed spaceflight. A year later, Omega marked it with its second limited edition ever: a steel ST 145.022, 500 pieces, sold exclusively through its Italian distributor, Fratelli De Marchi of Turin.

A correction worth making plainly: this was not a gold watch. The Apollo-Soyuz commemorative was steel. (The gold connection is a good story of its own — ASTP commander Tom Stafford wore his gold Apollo XI tribute, No. 13 of 1,014, at the pre-mission press conference — but that watch belongs to the Apollo 11 tribute's story, not this one's.)

Movements are numbered in the 39.180.xxx–39.181.xxx range, calibre 861.

At a glance

How to spot one

• Mission insignia on the dial in blue and red — some examples omit the “Speedmaster Professional” text.
• Long hour markers crossing the outer minute track.
• Caseback: mission insignia engraved on the exterior; stamped with a circled “I” (Italy), the individual number, and the Omega logo.
• Larger 5.5 mm pushers and a modified caseband versus the regular 145.022.

Why collectors care

Five hundred pieces, one country, one mission — the Apollo-Soyuz is the connoisseur's commemorative: historically anchored, genuinely scarce, and far less seen than the gold tributes.

As Omega's second limited edition ever, it sits at the very start of the numbered-edition tradition the brand still trades on.