I own this watch and I am wondering how many of these were actually made. I know that they are on the rare side of Speedmastes, but it's very difficult to find much information on this particular case back. Any help in my research would be gratefully appreciated.

 

Hi, I believe your watch is nicknamed the "straight writing" referring to the engraving on the back, not the "transitional".
"transitionals" have applied metal logo dials from the cal 321 but a cal 861 and a 68 caseback
I don't know how many were made.

 

Estimatws 300 or so. Although I've bought and sold a dozen or so over the past two years so not that rare in my opinion. They do surface from time to time

 

It's the rarest version of the Straight Writing, the Apollo XI 1969

 

Rare may be. But ugly too IMO. I prefer the Seahorse

 

Maybe someone with the book Moonwatch Only can chip in?

 

Two Posts above you is one of the writers of mwo

There are two versions of the straight writing case back. The one you and I own and the more rare version as shown by the op.

 

Am I the only one here that thinks there is something a bit fishy about this case back?

 

Lots of threads now on this:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/straight-writing-head-count.30484/#post-342449
https://omegaforums.net/threads/recolouring-the-lettering-of-a-straight-back.30373/#post-342472

 

I think its just heavily overpolished

 

Fixed it for you

 

Nope, I'm fishy too by now i just found a "regular" straight back but desperately looking for an Apollo 11 one, too....
MWO does not State any production number of one or the other straight back Version (or i missed out the info while Reading).

 

Polished black and off centre? Look at the font of the A,s compared to the example you show on your site William.

 

I think it's just the way I took the picture that it looks over polished! Here is a better picture?

 

Thank you for all the responses!! Speedy4ever, is there a a section in your book on this particular case back? I just got this watch from an Omega collecter and I personally love it!

 

I cant tell you how difficult i find it to photograph backs!

 

Good Catch. There are differences...however I suspect this back may have been produced with an element of human involvement, or even multiple humans, which might account for the differences. The head of the "A"s.

 

It seems indeed that there are 2 different writings for this apollo XI caseback. No idea of the production volume because nothing at Omega archives. Only observed about ten of them. Possibly specific for delivery to Japan, but difficult to be sure as a caseback can be easily swapped with another one

 

Looking closer, just about everything is different between the two case backs.
Check out the two totally different 1969,s. the W in watch.