“Speedymoon”: the first Speedmaster ever fitted with a moonphase — built as quartz pressure mounted in the mid-1980s.
By the mid-1980s the mechanical chronograph was under siege from quartz, and Omega answered in an unexpected way: by complicating the Moonwatch. The ST 345.0809, launched in November 1985, was the first Speedmaster ever fitted with a moonphase.
Inside is the calibre 866 — calibre 861 architecture with an added moonphase and date module. The moonphase and date share the 12 o'clock subdial; a case-flank corrector adjusts them. Otherwise the watch keeps standard Moonwatch DNA: 42 mm steel case, hesalite crystal, black aluminum tachymeter bezel.
It was one of three innovative mid-80s Moonwatch-cased experiments — alongside the 20-year flight-qualified ST 345.0808 and, later, the 376.0822 “Holy Grail.” Its launch coincided with the 20th anniversary of Grissom and Young's Gemini 3 flight. Collectors call it the “Speedymoon.”
Christie's, citing the Omega Museum archives, reports 1,738 calibre 866 movements made, of which 1,300 went into this reference — the remainder reportedly into a German “Teutonic” moonphase model. Well-sourced, but museum attribution rather than a published Omega figure.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Reference | ST 345.0809 |
| Years | c. 1985–88 |
| Calibre | 866 (861 + moonphase/date module) |
| Production | 1,300 in this reference, of 1,738 cal. 866 movements (Omega Museum via Christie's) |
The Speedymoon is the mechanical Moonwatch's strangest 1980s chapter — a moonphase on the watch that went to the Moon, built just as the industry was declaring such things obsolete.
It opens the door to the 376.0822 “Holy Grail,” its even rarer successor in the mid-80s experiment series.
The 1,738/1,300 figures come via Christie's citing Omega Museum archives — well-sourced but not a published Omega production number.