{"product_id":"omega-speedmaster-ed-white-as04408","title":"Omega Speedmaster 'Ed White'","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy We Love It\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e3… 2… 1… Liftoff!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake a poll amongst wristwatch collectors, and we'd bet the consensus would be that there might be nothing more important or iconic in a watch collection than an Omega Speedmaster. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eSure, chronographs such as the Rolex Daytona or the Heuer Carrera are classics - icons even, but neither can match the stature of the Speedy with regards to importance in history. In fact,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003earguably no watch \u003c\/em\u003ecan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis 'Ed White' Reference 105.003 dates to circa 1967 and is powered by the Calibre .321 movement, considered to be one of the best chronograph mechanisms ever designed. A correct 'Dot Over 90' (DO90) bezel shows even wear and patination, a sign that the piece was thoroughly enjoyed by the previous owners. The patinated Tritium indices show signs of being re-lumed and have a matching handset. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e At 38.5mm, the straight lug HF case wears extremely well for a chronograph and really does suit just about every occasion. This example may not win any awards or ever be invited into a museum collections, but then again - we were trying to remember what year it was last when you could score an Ed White for under $12K.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eLet's just say you'd need a different type of time machine to make that work!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Story\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistory was made on a desert steppe in southern Kazakhstan. From the Baikonur Cosmodrome,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSputnik 1\u003c\/i\u003e, the first artificial satellite, was launched. After\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eVostok 1\u003c\/i\u003e, during which Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, the launchpad from which both missions were launched was named “Gagarin’s Start.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAnd it was from Gagarin’s Start in March 1965 that Alexey Leonov would make history once more in \u003cem\u003eVoskhod 2\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAfter\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eVoskhod 2\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eorbited the Earth, Leonov’s crew member, Pavel Belyayev, helped him strap an EVA backpack to his Golden Eagle spacesuit. Then Belyayev inflated and pressurized the spacecraft’s Volga airlock. Equipped with the EVA backpack, which gave him 40 minutes of oxygen, Leonov entered the airlock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eBelyayev sealed the spacecraft behind him, and Leonov opened the hatch and pushed out as far as his 17.6 foot tether would allow. He could see the vast expanse of Europe beneath him, stretching wide from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Caspian Sea. For 12 minutes he stayed outside, as the cameras attached to the outside of the airlock recorded his historic spacewalk—the first ever attempted by man.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eTwo months later, his American counterpart, Ed White, would follow in his footsteps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eOn Ed White’s wrist was an Omega Speedmaster, Reference 105.003.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Omega","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39353161973847,"sku":"40960044","price":11500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/AS04408_40960044_OMEGA_SPEEDMASTER_EDWHITE__105.003-65-8.jpg?v=1627415495","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/omega-speedmaster-ed-white-as04408","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}