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

The present Speedmaster commemorates one of the most symbolic moments of the Cold War. During the 1970s, as tensions between the Western Bloc, led by the United States and its NATO allies, and the Eastern Bloc, headed by the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, gradually began to ease, NASA and the Soviet space programme collaborated on the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. In July 1975, an American Apollo spacecraft successfully docked with a Soviet Soyuz capsule in Earth orbit, marking the first international crewed space mission and a powerful symbol of scientific cooperation. To celebrate this landmark achievement, Omega's exclusive Italian distributor, De Marchi, commissioned a limited edition of just 500 Speedmaster watches in 1976, each distinguished by the Apollo-Soyuz mission emblem displayed prominently on the dial.

This remarkable edition holds a special place in Omega's history as the manufacture's first limited-edition Speedmaster in stainless steel. Produced exclusively for the Italian market, every example bears an encircled letter 'I' on the caseback, followed by its individual production number and the Omega logo, confirming its exclusivity and provenance.

The present timepiece is instantly recognisable by the replacement of the traditional 'Speedmaster' signature at 12 o'clock with the colourful Apollo-Soyuz mission emblem, making it one of the most distinctive vintage Speedmasters ever produced. It is further characterised by its oversized 5.5 mm chronograph pushers and by the original reference 1168 Oyster-style bracelet, a configuration believed to have been fitted to only a handful of Omega references during the 1970s. Combining historical significance, exceptional rarity, and one of the most unusual dial designs in the Speedmaster lineage, the present timepiece ranks among the most collectible commemorative Omega chronographs ever produced.