Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI 145.022-69, '60s

18k gold round case, n.718, burgundy aluminium bezel, case-back with commemorative inscription, round pushers.Champagne dial, "Oval O", applied and enamelled indexes.Hand-winding movement, cal. 861, n.28420796.18k gold Omega bracelet 1116/575.Size: 42 mm.Accompanied by Omega extract from the archives.Notes: On 21 July 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the Moon, making the Speedmaster the first watch to be worn in a new world.In the same year Omega, in order to celebrate this historic milestone, created a limited series of just 1014 pieces of the iconic reference 145.022-69, which for the first time was produced in gold.Of these, the first two watches were presented to US President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew. However, in accordance with policy, they had to refuse the gift, instead donating the two pieces to the Omega Museum. Another 28 watches were presented to astronauts and other important members of the NASA team, each of these pieces had the recipient's name engraved on the case-back.The remaining watches, personalized with the words “The first watch worn on the Moon”, were made available for purchase by the public. The present specimen, preserved in mint conditions, features the number "718" engraved on the case-back, being one of the less than a thousand pieces intended to the collecting market.