1967 Omega Speedmaster Professional Ref. 105.012-66 Why This Watch Matters According to the Omega Archives, this Speedmaster was built in 1967 and was subsequently sent to the United States on August 11 of that year. The Full Story Omega released the Speedmaster ref 105.012 in 1964. It represented a new generation for the chronograph, now known as the Speedmaster Professional. This was the first Speedmaster with the "Professional" moniker on the dial. Omega upgraded this model with a larger 42mm case with twisted lugs and crown guards. The interior of the watch remained the same as previous Speedmasters, with the legendary manually wound caliber 321 ticking inside. This exact reference was worn by early astronauts, including Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong when he became the first human to step foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Omega used two different casemakers for the ref. 105.012. Most manually wound Speedmasters feature cases by Huguenin Frères, but there was another casemaker named La Centrale Boîtes, out of Bien, who also made some cases for hand-wound Speedmasters, but just for this reference. It's more common for ref. 105.012-66 cases to be made by La Centrale Boîtes, but this example's case is made by Huguenin Frères , which makes it more unique. This watch features a rare dial variant with two of the letter "T" – as in "T Swiss Made T" – closely positioned at the bottom of the dial. Omega used two different types of dials for this reference, one where the two "Ts" were more spaced out, and another where the "Ts" were closer together. The latter is the Speedmaster we have here today. This example features "OXG" stamped on the movement, which was the U.S. import mark for Omega. This makes sense as this specific watch was originally sent to the U.S. market after it was built in 1967. This Speedmaster checks all the boxes for someone looking for a rare example. It features all the classic features, such as the "dot-over-90" bezel, the stepped dial with applied logo, and the storied caliber 321 inside. Further, this watch is in great condition with attractive patina on the lume. We paired this Speedmaster Professional with our Textured Honey Brown Strap, which gives this classic tool watch a touch of elegance. We think the color works extremely well with the patina on the lume. The Fine Print Maker: Omega Model: Speedmaster Professional Reference: 105.012-66 Year: 1967 Case No: N/A; Movement No: 24952865 Material: Stainless steel Dimensions: 42mm diameter; 14mm thickness Crystal: Hesalite Lume: Yes, tritium Caliber: Manually wound 321 Bracelet/Strap: Textured Honey Brown Calfskin Watch Strap Lug Width: 20mm Box/Papers: No What we Love and What You Should Know This Speedmaster is in overall excellent condition. The case is strong with scratches; the caseback engravings are clearly visible. The case is possibly unpolished. The dial and hands are in great condition with light patina. The lume on the hands and dial are very close to matching in color. The lume on the minute hand has a little dark patina toward its center. The bezel is in good condition, with some scratches and signs of wear throughout. The watch has retained its original "tight-foot" 24-tooth crown. The dial, case, movement, crystal, and crown are all signed by the maker. The crystal has some light scratches.
