Another recent purchase.with a nagging question. Bought this Mkii thinking it was a a 145.014. When my watchmaker opened the case the case back is stamped 145.037.
I am no expert on the differences between the 014 and 037 beyond pushers and reference so am wondering if anyone can tell if this is just a 145.014 with the wrong case back or a 145.037 fitted with standard pushers.
I stupidly forgot to take pics when the back was off but serial seems to date the watch to 1974.
Grateful if anyone has any info on this and sorry about the reflections in some photos.
Cheers.
Tony

 

A quick update to this one. I just got my other Mkii 145.014 back and did a side by side comparison with the 145.037 caseback watch.
There is a marked difference in the space round the pushers on the two and after some searching on the forum and web I think I may have a 145.037 fitted with normal pushers.
In the hope this is a Telestop I have ordered an archive extract and will refit correct pushers if it is confirmed as a true 145.037.
Unfortunately while the dial is Tritium and appears original the hands are luminova but them’s the breaks.
Cheers,
Tony

 

Nice catch. The case is definitely a telestop one so let’s hope the extract confirms the serial also. A very rare model!

 

+1 to 145.037 case that is fitted with standard pushers. Mine comes with serial 3221xxxx. Good luck with the extract!

 

Thanks for the responses. The serial is 3285xxxx. Just heard from Omega that the extract has been despatched so hopefully will have it very soon.
The bracelet is another puzzle, 173 end links but clasp marked 1383 which comes up as a gold plated bracelet when I search. It is definitely all steel.

 

A Telestop, send it to wear the original pusher, only 50 pieces super rare bird, for the archives 50-50 , get lucky mine was complete including the type of the bracelet .

Mine says hello

 

hi Fatcat,
Thanks a lot for the info. Very happy to have found this watch.
Couple of questions. Are you sure only 50 were made?, I understand this is not a common variant but 50 units seems a very low production run.
Also do you mean your bracelet has 173 end links and the same 1383 clasp?.
Cheers,
Tony

 

Sounds very positive for the extract (as long as you put 145.037 in the case ref section) I must get an extract ordered for mine.
However your buckle is probably a replacement and not original, but that’s not hard to rectify.
I too would like to know more about the possibility of only 50 units made!

 

Bracelet for me is a 1162/172 as stated in the extract , yes only 50 pieces, abandoned project refused by the NASA.

 

Interesting, we’re did the info come from? Omega say they were produced for skiers.
https://www.omegawatches.com/planet-omega/60th-anniversary-speedmaster/mark-ii-1969

 

It is a well know history looks like, the MarkII for skiers , I know many of us in the forum don’t care about Mark but the MarkII was the first iteration of the original Speedy, skiing on the moon maybe but that it.

Thé 145.037 is really an atypical Watch Oméga was trying to purpose this to the NASA with a mechanical shutter and NASA won’t it, they build those 50 of 145.037 and stop it .

Mine was sold in Spain, I bought it in Spain , the guy that got it remember they buy it instead of the Standard MKII just because the pusher where OUT , but at the end they where exchange by the standard MKII, but this watch as an intéressant story, between a regular MKII and a Telestop .

There is a Member of the forum based in San Diego that share a very interesting story about the museum watch and the shutter, maybe if the read the thread maybe they will write you.

Paul

 

I am getting quite into this watch and it's story. The Omega site link does say it was developed for skiers but what if that came after NASA rejected the design?. They would have market it somehow if they wanted to sell the watch. Much as I wish the 50 units to be true I find it hard to believe they produced such a small run unless watches were made to order or they had 50 NASA declined prototypes that were then disposed of as ski timers?. Might be interesting to start a thread asking how many members actually own a 145.037.
Looking forward finding more on this one, will definitely check out the thread on the museum watch.
Thanks to everyone for all the info.
Tony

 

Hi Tony
The case you have is the 145.037 is the Telestop with incorrect pushers. As far as I know the production numbers are not confirmed.
The original 145.0037 prototype ( 1 of 12 I was told ) you see here was donated to the Museum in 2000. It is in case #59, amongst some other prototypes. The crystal was replaced ( I still have the original ) the rest of the watch is as I found it.
The Telestop remote was re-engineered in South Africa from archive blueprints, which we managed to get from Omega. A copy of a page I found in my old watch books from years ago, is shown.
The large threaded nut on the remote and the cables are different colors than the original blueprint but it is exactly as it was made in the early 70’s.
The Telestop remote unit and cables no longer exist and I have no answer as to how the watch/case became available to the public as a commercial case # of 145.037 (6 digits) when prototypes had 7 digits, ie 145.0037.
Perhaps like the Tintin dial, a planned project rejected and repurposed (for skiing )

As far as it’s use, in my dealings with Omega- NASA was never mentioned (it has a mineral glass which was never flight certified).
In my research I believe a run of 12 prototype’s was developed for the Frecce Tricolori ("Tricolour Arrows"), officially known as the 313° Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico, is the aerobatic demonstration team of the ItalianAeronautica Military. No doubt for analog synchronization of acrobatic maneuvers.
How it become to be mentioned as a ‘free skiers’ timing device, it would be worth asking Omega.

I hope this gives you the information/background you need. It is a cool watch with a relatively unknown provenance, so you and anyone else who has one, can consider yourselves to be lucky to own a weird oddity in Speedmaster lore.
JUST ONE PIECE OF ADVICE:
Do not try find or make your own remote yoke. Without the original specifications from Omega, you will drive yourself crazy , and might damage the threaded pushers, once you have them installed.

Let me know if this helps or if I can try ask any questions.

 

For the numbers, OB managers told me that more than 1 time, also when I called the museum to order my extract , it was fairly easy to find all the watches are on a. Couple of “pages » also the serial numbers are messed up with some quartz watches also, first time I called they told me it is a quartz watch. After discussing the guy find out the error on the books and confirm the serial and the bracelet, but they are all in 2 pages .

A shame no way to get the blueprint will be happy to build the shutter

 

In my Telestop trail was able to ring a complete case that at the will serve as donor in case of probl

 

Pushers are readily available from Omega - I ordered a couple a while back just for the hell of it and to take a closer look at them...just a threaded ring that goes under, and is held in place by, the pusher body.





Would be pretty simple to check thread pitch and diameter to make the shutter release end that would fit to these...

Cheers, Al

 

Would you care to share the Extract?

 

Not a problem here is

 

Thanks! I should try to get mine and will make sure to share it here.

 

Wow. Thanks for all the detailed replies and info. The story behind the prototype in the museum and the creation of the pusher remote is really interesting, thanks Mtnmansa. Also good to know the pushers are still available which seems amazing considering they are applicable to so few watches out there.
Paul, thanks for the picture of your extract, my serial is also 3285xxxx.
I will post my extract when it finally gets here.
Cheers,
Tony