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.
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