Correct Box For A 1971 Speedmaster Professional Ref. 145.022-69 "Racing Dial"?

Tom Dick

There wasn't a specific box for the racing dials as they weren't a 'special edition' (probably not what you want to hear if you are the proud owner of one of the Phillips watches and paid the hammer price, which I suspect by your tag image you might be). These are indeed rare watches and many many forum members (including myself) would love to get their paws on one but they are stiller regularly produced Speedies simply with a special dial and by special I mean very few have surfaced indicating much lower production numbers in those years than the regular black dial.

The box would most likely have been a standard red box or the crater. Your images 1,3 ,4 you show are of mid 1970's and late 1970's Omega boxes and as such they wouldn't have been available on a 145.02-71, unless (which is plausible) it was sold later in the 1970's. Image 2 could be plausible but that box set tended to be seen in the mid and late 1960's and not very regularly with Speedmasters (although it has been known)

I am sorry to say that Omega were not precious with their boxes unless it was a special edition watch like the 125 or the Marine Chronometer, for run of the mill watches (and please take no offence but the Speedmaster was a run of the mil tool watch and it's price reflected this) they tended to be supplied in one of the generic watch box or around that period (whilst omega was as it is to these day basking in Space glory) a crater box.

Your best bet is to find a red leatherette box (see my recent post on Speedmaster red boxes) , this will cost you considerably less (around £150 without documents wallets or instructions up t £550 for a full set with blank paper and period Speedy instructions). Crater boxes still regularly change hands for north of £500