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Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 42mm Stainless Steel
Ref. 145.022
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Stepping up in Omega's range
Dark Side Of The Moon Co-Axail Chronograph Pitch Black 44.25mm Automatic Mens Watch£10,050
Seamaster Bullhead 1960s 43mm Stainless Steel£9,000
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Seamaster 300 Co-Axial Chronometer 41mm Automatic Mens Watch£10,700
Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41mm Beijing 2022 Automatic Ladies Watch£14,500
The 145.022 is the watch NASA flew on every crewed mission from Apollo 11 through to the Shuttle era, and the reason it held that role had nothing to do with glamour. It had to survive vacuum, thermal extremes, and zero lubricant evaporation — conditions that disqualified almost everything else. What made the 145.022 significant internally was the transition it marked: the celebrated column-wheel Calibre 321 gave way here to the cam-actuated 861, a movement that proved easier to service in quantity and ran for twenty years in this case before Omega retired the reference. On the wrist it is kinder than 42mm sounds. The lyre lugs curve downward to follow the arm, and at 47mm lug to lug the watch sits closer to the wrist than a flat-lugged case of the same diameter would. The matte black dial on earlier examples has a stepped construction, the centre sitting slightly lower than the outer minute track — a detail that gives the dial depth without doing anything dramatic about it. Pre-1974 examples also carry an applied Omega emblem rather than a painted one, which is worth noting when dating a particular piece. Tritium lume on any example this age will have ceased to glow; what remains is the patina — hands and indices that have turned varying shades of cream or amber depending on how the watch was stored. On a well-preserved piece that colour is consistent across all the markers, and it reads as age rather than neglect.
- Reference
- 145.022
- Brand
- Omega
- Collection
- Speedmaster
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 13.5mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- 861
- Functions
- Chronograph, Small seconds, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- Power reserve
- 48 hours
Learn more about Omega
Louis Brandt began assembling pocket watches in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1848. His sons moved production to Biel in 1880 and, in 1894, released a calibre whose parts were fully interchangeable and which could be serviced by any watchmaker with standard tools. They named it Omega. The movement was successful enough that the company took its name.
Omega's history is bound up with measurement in public. It became official timekeeper of the Olympic Games in 1932 and has held the role for most Games since, which drove genuine engineering: photo-finish cameras, touchpads in swimming pools, and the timing systems that made hundredths of a second meaningful.
NASA qualified the Speedmaster for manned spaceflight in 1965 after testing chronographs from several manufacturers to destruction, and it was on Buzz Aldrin's wrist on the lunar surface in 1969. The watch has never been substantially redesigned.
The Seamaster line dates to 1948 and covers everything from dress watches to saturation diving instruments. Omega's technical position strengthened considerably after 1999 with the adoption of George Daniels' co-axial escapement, the first genuinely new escapement to reach series production in two centuries, and more recently through Master Chronometer certification testing resistance to magnetic fields at 15,000 gauss.
The company has been part of the Swatch Group since its formation.
- 1848
- Louis Brandt starts assembling watches in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
- 1894
- The Omega calibre gives the company its name.
- 1932
- Becomes official timekeeper of the Olympic Games.
- 1948
- The Seamaster line is introduced.
- 1965
- NASA qualifies the Speedmaster for manned spaceflight.
- 1999
- The co-axial escapement enters series production.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,996), Chronograph Watches (1,234) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (154).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 47mm lug-to-lug keeps the 42mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Omega's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
- Acrylic crystal marks easily, though it polishes out
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Yes, but it polishes out. Acrylic marks easily and a scratch can be buffed away at home, which is why vintage-style watches still use it.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £5,750, vintage. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as vintage only, at £5,750 from Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths check and clean every used watch they sell and warrant it for 2 years, though a vintage piece is sold as it stands and servicing history varies.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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