Omega's first numbered limited edition and its first solid-gold Speedmaster: 1,014 pieces, beginning with the astronauts themselves.
In the fall of 1969, after Apollo 11, Omega built its first solid-gold Speedmaster and its first numbered limited edition: the BA 145.022, calibre 861 — 1,014 pieces total, a figure consistent across Christie's, Sotheby's, JCK and the Swatch Group.
The allocation reads like a guest list. Numbers 1 and 2 were offered to President Nixon and Vice President Agnew — both declined under gift rules, and both watches now sit in the Omega Museum. Numbers 3 through 28 went to NASA astronauts, including three presented posthumously to the Apollo 1 crew — Grissom, White and Chaffee. Numbers 29–32 went to Swiss industry and political figures; 33–1000 were sold to the public; 1001–1008 were presented in 1972–73 to the Apollo 14 through 17 astronauts; 1009–1014 to other personalities.
They were presented at the November 25, 1969 “Astronaut Appreciation Dinner” in Houston — gold watches for the men who had carried steel ones to the Moon.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Reference | BA 145.022 (-69) |
| Years | 1969–1973 |
| Calibre | 861, manual-wind |
| Case | 18k yellow gold, integrated bracelet |
| Production | 1,014 numbered pieces |
The record price for any Speedmaster belongs here: Wally Schirra's gold Apollo XI sold at RR Auction in April 2022 for $1,907,000. Michael Collins's No. 19 brought $765,000 at Heritage the same year.
Beyond the numbers, this is the edition that invented the modern Omega limited edition — every numbered Speedmaster since descends from it.
One minor source disagreement: whether the astronaut series runs 3–28 or 3–30 (JCK reports additional astronaut presentations afterward, 36 astronaut-owned total). The 1,014 total is undisputed.