SPEEDMASTER APOLLO SOYUZ MODEL, REF. ST 145.022, MOVEMENT NO. 39’180’969, NO. 100, MANUFACTURED IN 1976

During the 1970s Cold War between the powers of the Western Bloc (led by the United States and its NATO allies) and those of the Eastern Bloc (headed by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact partners), NASA launched a project to connect an American Apollo spacecraft and a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in orbit. In July 1975, the mission was successfully completed, signaling a turning point in global collaboration. A limited edition of 500 Speedmaster watches, each distinguished by the unique Apollo-Soyuz emblem displayed on the dial, were released in 1976 by Omega's exclusive Italian distributor, De Marchi, to celebrate this accomplishment.

This was Omega's first limited edition watch in steel, with all 500 examples solely intended for the Italian market. Each piece can be identified by the encircled letter ‘I’ on the case back, followed by its individual production number and the Omega logo.

The present timepiece stands apart from other Omega Speedmasters by replacing the traditional 'Speedmaster' designation at 12 o'clock with the Apollo-Soyuz emblem. Another notable feature is the unusually large 5.5 mm chronograph pushers that contribute to its unique character. It is furthermore enhanced by its 1168 ‘Oyster-style’ bracelet, which was original to this edition and believed to have been used on very few other references during the 1970s.