Description

OMEGA SPEEDMASTER APOLLO-SOYUZ 35TH

Rare and elusive Omega Speedmastr Professional Apollo-Soyuz 35th Anniversary watch from 2010. Limited edition nr.1718/1975. Full-set, with boxes and papers. Flawless and original meteorite-dial and steel colour luminova hands. Black tachymeter-bezel and sapphire glass. Steel case is in very good condition. Case size is 42mm.

Omega cal. 1861 manually wound chronograph movement is fully serviced in 2018 and in perfect condition. Watch comes with original Omega steel bracelet and black calf-skin hand-made leather strap from our own collection. Strap with Omega buckle.

Watch comes with original grey-black Limited Edition case and white protective case. Inner case has some use marks but is in good condition. With orignal warranty cards and user instructions.

Watch has 12-month service warranty.

HISTORY

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project ASTP was joint-space-operation between USA (NASA) and Soviet Union  (Baikonur) space programs in july 1975. This joint flight had many scientific purposes, but most important goal was to reduce tension beween these two (new) space faring nations. After decade of cold war, space race and political differences it was about time to come together. This flight planning started already in 1971 and it ended  1975 when Apollo and Soyuz modules met and interlocked in space 17.7.1975. After docking, astronauts Thomas Stafford, Vance Brand and Donald Slayton met cosmonauts Aleksey Leonov and Valery Kubasov in docking module, joitly designed for docking two different spacecrafts together. In following 44 hours these men “conducted joint scientific experiments, exchanged flags and gifts”.

Omega was participating this Apollo-Soyuz Test Project by supplying watches for both crews. After mission Soviet Union started to use Omega watches on all of their following missions.

First sivilian Apollo-Soyuz watch

Right after this mission Italian based Omega representative De Marchi in Turin, presented a limited edition Speedmaster, that had this Apollo-Soyuz mission logo in dial. This batch of 500 watches was ment for Italian market and were numbered and stamped with I for Italy.  These first Apollo-Soyuz watches are now very sought after and reach very high prices.

Other Apollo-Soyuz models

In 1995 Omega manufactured a 18k gold Speemaster with leather strap to remember 20th anniversary of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. This gold model was made 200 pcs.

2000 Omega made 25th anniversary Apollo-Soyuz model, again in 18k gold but also with gold bracelet. This batch was just 50pcs.

Third anniversary model is this 2010 steel version with meteorite dial and 1975 watches.