Omega Speedmaster 105.003 "The Ed White" Men's Vintage Watch

A stunning example of the famed Omega Speedmaster “Ed White” 105.003-63.

If you’re looking for a piece of watchmaking royalty then look no further than the Omega Speedmaster 105.003, commonly known as “The Ed White”. This watch is in great condition having been well looked after by its previous owner who has owned it since new. Having just undergone a full service and calibration it’s also in perfect working condition and keeping good time.

The case itself is in good condition with no visible dents or over-polishing. The original double bevelled case back is probably the best example we’ve seen, with the Omega hippocampus, logo and lettering barely worn. The case back is engraved on the inside with 105.003-63. The later Omega tachymeter bezel is in in excellent condition with no scratches visible to the naked eye.

The original tritium stepped dial featuring the narrow T SWISS MADE T inscription is in fantastic condition and shows an attractive fading. The lume has mellowed to a wonderful faded yellow and the hands are in good condition given their age. There are however small signs of aging when viewed under a 4X loupe and we suspect the hands have been re-lummed sometime in the past.

This Speedmaster is powered by the highly regarded calibre 321. Having just undergone a thorough service and calibration, the watch is in solid working order. The movement number 20522XXX is in the required range for the 105.003 Speedmaster.

If you’re interested in this model, secure it now as this stunning example is priced competitively and sure to sell quickly to a keen collector or savvy investor!

Model Background:

When reviewing an Omega 105.003 “Ed White”, the well-respected watch site Hodinkee commented that “There are Speedmasters and then there are Speedmasters.

An automatic Speedmaster is pretty solid. A manually wound Speedmaster Professional is solid. A manually wound Speedmaster Professional with a 321 Caliber in it is really solid. A manually wound Speedmaster PRE-Professional with 321 caliber, straight lugs and no crown guards dating to 1965 is borderline epic.”

We couldn’t agree more! In fact, the Omega Speedmaster 105.003 is one of our favourite watches ever made. It’s attractive, durable, historically significant and highly collectable.

Launched in 1963 the reference 105.003 replaced the 2998 and was the watch worn by astronaut Ed White on NASA’s first EVA spacewalk on the Gemini IV mission. This would set the scene for the 105.012 to be selected for the NASA Apollo missions.

To reach this stage, in late 1964 to early 1965 the Speedmaster was pitted against watches from Rolex and Longines in a series of 11 strenuous tests designed to examine the ability of watches to withstand the stresses of an EVA in space. The Rolex and Longines failed, the Omega passed and the rest, as they say, is history as the successors of the 105.003 would go on to cement the Omega Speedmaster as “The Moonwatch”.

The 105.003 was the last of the Speedmasters to feature straight lugs and was also the last to not include a crown guard. It was also the first Speedmaster with baton hands instead of the dauphin hands found on previous Speedmasters.

The last of the old Speedmasters, the Omega Speedmaster 105.003 “Ed White” was once overlooked in favour of earlier “Pre-Moon” examples such as the CK2915 and CK2998. However, over the past 18 months the “Ed White” has become increasingly sought-after by collectors and prices have risen dramatically as a result with few signs of slowing.

Condition Report:

Like all our watches this has been professionally serviced and regulated by our watch maker as well as authenticated by a independent third party. The watch comes with a 14 day inspection period and 1 year warranty. 

• Dial:
• Original untouched step dial with "long" indexes;
• Tritium showing a charming patina;
• Signed "Omega Speedmaster" at 12 o'clock, raised silver Omega logo. Signed "T Swiss Made T" at 6 o'clock;
• Visible mark between the 7 and 8 o'clock position;
• Original correct hands likely re-lumed in the past, showing visible ageing.
• Case:
• Stainless steel 3-body with "flat" screw-down case back with "Hippocampus" and signed "Speedmaster" showing very little wear;
• Showing normal signs of wear and tear with minor scratches visible to the naked eye;
• Later replaced bezel in very good condition with minor ageing;
• Original steel fluted crown signed with Omega logo. Original pushers.
• Original hesalite crystal signed with Omega logo. Polished in the past, showing minor scratches. 
• Movement:
• Fully serviced, original hand wound cal.321 movement;
• Movement is in very good condition with minor wear. 
• Strap:
• Omega 1037 bracelet, 40mm. In good condition with visible scratches on the clasp.