The last Speedmaster to house the original Caliber 321 movement before Cheap Omega Replica transitioned to the simpler Caliber 861, the vintage Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” ref. 145.012 signified the end of an important era for this famed Omega chronograph.
We have selected an Omega Speedmaster 145.012-67 Replica from 1968 as our vintage watch of the week, so join us as we uncover all the charming details of this 54-year-old watch.
Case: 42mm, Stainless Steel
Bezel: Black “Dot over 90” Bezel Insert
Crystal: Plexiglass, Signed with Omega Logo
Dial: Black, Step Dial, Stick Hour/Minute Hand, Teardrop Seconds Hand, Applied Logo
Lume: Tritium, Patina Hour Markers and Hands
Caliber: 321 Manual-Winding Movement
Strap: Tan Leather Strap (After Market)
Design Features
The Speedmaster 145.012 retained many of the features of the previous 105.012, which is to say it has a 42mm steel case, a black bezel with a tachymeter scale, and a black dial with three counters. However, Omega high-quality replica watch furnished it with taller and larger chronograph pushers, which is one way to tell this reference apart from its predecessors.
Another fantastic vintage detail worth pointing out on this Speedmaster 145.012 is the step dial. Note the slightly elevated ring at the center of the dial, which is placed adjacent to the minute markers and home to the tips of the hour markers. This elevation makes a step, hence the nickname “step dial.”
On the dial is the applied Omega Swiss made replica watches logo- yet another classic design detail of early Speedmaster watches that would eventually be replaced by painted logos by 1969/1970 with the ref. 145.022. Also, note the “Professional” inscription under “Speedmaster” – this was introduced in the preceding ref. 105.012 and continues to be a part of the design of the most current iterations of the Moonwatch.
Caliber 321
One of the starring features of the vintage Speedmaster ref. 145.012 is one that you can’t see unless the caseback is taken off. Of course, we’re talking about the Caliber 321 movement that powers the best replica watches store in the world. This Lemania-based hand-wound movement is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful chronograph movements ever made, especially given its compact size.
Along with the time, it powers a 60-second chronograph register, a 30-minute counter, and a 12-hour counter. It uses a column wheel to activate the chronograph functions, which is considered better quality than cams. Column wheel chronograph movements require more labor to produce and they are not only better looking but also offer smoother operation.