Omega
The First Manual-Wound COSC Certified Speedmaster — The Jubilee BA 148.0052
Omega
The First Manual-Wound COSC Certified Speedmaster — The Jubilee BA 148.0052
50 years prior, Omega concluded a project they called the 27 CHRO C12, which yielded the calibre 321 (Omega’s version of the CH 27). 15 years later, in 1957, the same calibre 321 took on the task of powering the Speedmaster in its first decade. Let me be clear: That accounts for six of the Speedmaster’s initial references, the 2915, the 2998, ST 105.002, ST 105.003, ST 105.012 and ST 145.012. Of which, it was the ST 105.003 that earned the Speedmaster its stamp of approval from NASA — Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions.
“Soon after, the crew lost the majority of power to the craft. They knew that their only option for survival was to use the moon’s gravitational pull to slingshot them around and back to earth. But there was one major problem — the angle of the craft’s re-entry. Too steep and it would burn up upon re-entry; too shallow and the craft would bounce off earth’s atmosphere, leaving the crew floating helplessly into space.
“Using Jim Swiggert’s Omega Speedmaster, the crew used the lunar module’s manually controlled descent propulsion engine to create a precisely timed, 14 second mid-flight course correction. This allowed them to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere successfully causing both the astronauts and the watch that saved them to indelibly become inked into one of the most remarkable moments in human history.”
It was with the introduction of the reference ST 145.022, in 1968, that Omega took on the calibre 861 for the Speedmaster, switching from the earlier column wheel chronograph system to the shuttle cam system instead. Thus, effectively ending the calibre 321’s 25-year long reign.
1992 — Jubilee 27 CHRO C12 Reference BA 148.0052, First COSC Certified Manual-Wound Speedmaster
Therefore, when time came to celebrate the calibre 321’s 50th birthday, Omega chose to do so with a special watch and yet another, special movement. This was the 1992, Jubilee 27 CHRO C12 Speedmaster. That’s already reason number one, why the BA 148.0052 is a significant piece in the Speedmaster timeline. The watch was made in an edition of 999 numbered watches with solid case backs and 250 watches with display backs in a special presentation box.
Secondly, this was the fourth Speedmaster that Omega had made in 18k solid yellow gold. The prior pieces were the 1969 Tribute to Apollo XI reference BA 145.022, the 1980 Apollo XI — fashioned off the 1969 BA 145.022 — reference BA 345.0802 and then in 1991, there was the Perpetual Calendar reference BA 175.0037.
The third reason why this watch is not to be taken lightly is because this was the very first black dial yellow gold Speedmaster. Prior yellow gold Speedmasters, all had gold dials.
Now, the fourth reason why the watch is special is because, while there was another black dial yellow gold Speedmaster later in 2000, note that the BA 148.0052 can be immediately be distinguished because the of gold frames around its three sub dials. The only other Speedmaster that has such a dial is the 7-piece MIR 365 edition. More on those Speedmasters later.
So it was in 1992, when with the BA 148.0052, Omega introduced the third generation of manual-wound movement to be used in the Speedmaster that the brand also gave the world the first COSC certified manual-wound Speedy. This movement was the calibre 864.
The MIR Gold Speedmasters
The purpose in having the watches in the space station for such an extended period was to observe the long-term effect of zero gravity on mechanical movements. At the end of the year long experiment, the watches were brought back to Omega and found to be working perfectly. Later, in 1995, the complete series of watches was sold off to the public to mark the Atlantis-MIR Russo-American rendez-vous from June 29 to July 3, 1995.
1992 — Rare Hand-Crafted Limited Edition, Skeleton Reference BA 145.0053
On top of the yellow gold version, Omega also made platinum and white gold versions of the watch, limited to just 50 pieces. The reason why these were made in such a small number was because it took one watchmaker 150 hours to craft the skeleton work on each watch.
Underpriced yes, but let’s think of it this way: It’s the watch that celebrates the 50th birthday of the mighty caliber 321, it’s the fourth solid gold Speedmaster ever made, it’s the first ever gold Speedmaster with a black dial that only appears again on the MIR gold Speedmasters and lastly it marks the first ever COSC certified manual-wound Speedy. For all the significance that the BA 148.0052 holds — at current prices — for you the Speedmaster collector, this watch presents nothing short of a bloody steal.