Important Speedmaster Research by Chronoholic

Posts
1,430
Likes
2,957
Truly enjoyed a most fascinating read. I’ve always wondered if the differences in the midcase was arbitrary or a well thought out design decision by the manufacturers. Why just not use the same midcase year after year?

For those who wanted to see the flat facet under the ends of the lugs… here are two; one shows the backside of a CB case( bottom image) and the other a March version of the 145.022-68 ( top)
 
Posts
2,315
Likes
5,697
Thanks everyone for their kind words.
I have been working on this for quite a while. The most challenging (and fun) part was acquiring all of the watches.
Thanks to @Marsimaxam for lending me his mint 145.022-68 with the "Banana case" which was the only piece I did not have in my personal collection.
I will post the images here as reference as I am sure those will be of interest to many who find their way to this forum in search of information about their vintage Speedmaster Professional.




Edited:
 
Posts
1,076
Likes
1,787
Great work and thanks for sharing. I vote this goes to the sticky section.
 
Posts
2,231
Likes
29,195
Got a 145.022-68 from March 20th 1969, serial 27 324 xxx

Definitely a Mark 5 case, I concur

How strange to have had a specific midcase produced on such a short period ?!?
 
Posts
203
Likes
321
Thanks, very interesting.
Especially since Omega identifies extracts only from the movement.
 
Posts
1,762
Likes
7,219
Thanks @ndgal , amazing work! You also named one of the problems when researching special kind of watches. You need them in your hands to compare them. Pictures are a good start and helpful, but the best results you get when touch and compare them physically.

Keep up the good work (I am also Team "Ed White next please" 😁 ).

Nico
 
Posts
3,861
Likes
8,804
So what midcase type is this? all photos are of 145022-68 Transitionals (all 26xxxxxx serials) previously posted on the ΩF. Notice the more pointed lug tips. The bottom photo has screw in pushers, suggesting it is a Mk4?



Might be the light, angle of photo or just my old eyes, but the tips of the M4 look at if there is a small flat foot.

 
Posts
2,315
Likes
5,697
So what midcase type is this? all photos are of 145022-68 Transitionals (all 26xxxxxx serials) previously posted on the ΩF. Notice the more pointed lug tips. The bottom photo has screw in pushers, suggesting it is a Mk4?



Might be the light, angle of photo or just my old eyes, but the tips of the M4 look at if there is a small flat foot.

The top two seem to have the flat "feet" at the bottom of the lugs.
The third one looks like it has been polished, but need more pictures to confirm).
 
Posts
3,861
Likes
8,804
The top two seem to have the flat "feet" at the bottom of the lugs.
The third one looks like it has been polished, but need more pictures to confirm).

Yes, I believe that's the case as well (whoops...no pun intended, I think) now looking at it more carefully 😀
 
Posts
649
Likes
839
Congratulations @ndgal !

This is indeed a great research and we admit that we neglected this case 😉 when we published the first edition. We of course had observed differences, but at the time the number of examples we had in our hands was too low to make a clear classification. Plus the incertitude of polishing made it very difficult...

Anyway, we have now much more examples professionally photographed with the same angles, which makes comparison possible, and we will make an effort to develop this chapter (acknowledging you). We will also have more focus on the Speedmasters of the 1980s/1990s.

I'll contact you or post here in case (why does this word come so often? 😁) we have more/different observations, or questions, but MWO4 is not scheduled for 2022...
 
Posts
2,315
Likes
5,697
For those who might be interested, I just posted an update to my article adding another case MK to the timeline.
I refer to it as MK1.5. Only appearing on 105.012-65 produced between March and August 1966 ("The Moon Batch")
I've only had about a handful of these in the past, but all were either polished or heavily worn.
I was recently lucky enough to source a stellar unpolished example of a "Moon Batch" 105.012-65 to use as a specimen.




Link to the case study:

https://www.chronoholic.com/post/the-omega-speedmaster-professional-a-case-study
 
Posts
174
Likes
391
Nice to be able to have yet another way to check originality, cheers.
 
Posts
174
Likes
391
It may be worth noting that there was another ‘Moon Batch’ of 105.012’s (not just the March to August batch). For example, Gordon or Bean on Apollo 12…
 
Posts
762
Likes
9,288
It is true that January 1967 belongs to the MK1. Mine is one of the last 105.012-65?


 
Posts
85
Likes
105
i will later today compare some cases of my watches. maybe we find some transitionals 😝😝
 
Posts
2,315
Likes
5,697
It may be worth noting that there was another ‘Moon Batch’ of 105.012’s (not just the March to August batch). For example, Gordon or Bean on Apollo 12…

Well, there’s a reason why I refer the watches made during that period as “The Moon Batch” as there is another part on them that differs from other 105.012-65 produced before and after.

A specific post on those will be up soon.
Stay tuned. 😉