OMEGA SPEEDMASTER POLAR PLAISTED EXPEDITION watch that has been worn by one of the four people
that were on the 1968 Expedition.
There were given ONLY FOUR watches by the Omega's manufacture to be worn in this particular expedition
but we are not certain how many still exist today!
According to our research, we think this watch belonged to Jean-Luc Bombardier, who was the technician and scout in this expedition,
the nephew of the inventor of the Ski-Doo, Joseph-Armand Bombardier's(Bombardier's founder).
History:
~ P L A I S T E D E X P E D I T I O N 1968 ~
After the space adventure of American astronauts in the Gemini program, the Speedmaster set a new record :
44 days on the polar cap at temperatures as low as -52°.
On the 19th of April 1968, after travelling 44 days and 1320 kilometres across the polar cap, four men calculate their location with a sextant and a Speedmaster: they reached the 90 degrees latitude North, which is the Geographic North Pole.
This was verified by the U.S. Air Force, the weather reconnaissance aircraft "Lark 47", confirmed their position by radio.
Two Air Force navigators, using gyro-compasses, confirmed also the fact that these four men were indeed at 90° North.
This advance team of the Plaisted expedition of 1968 was formed by:
Ralph S. Plaisted, 40 years (the leader), Gerald Pitzl,34 years (the navigator),
Walter Pederson, 40 years(the mechanical engineer) and respectively,
Jean-Luc Bombardier (29 years) who was the scout and technician of the group.
More information can be found on the Omega's website:
http://www.omegawatches.com/uploads/media/Brochure_50th_Anniversary_Facts_and_Figures_02.pdf
Also, one very interesting blog that has a lot of information on the subject:
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f20/intro-plaisted-polar-expedition-anniversary-speedmaster-content-530896.html
Reference: 145012 - 67
Dial : Original MINT Black Tritium dial (signed T Swiss Made T), with its original patina. Never been touched.
Case: Original Stainless Steel case with screw-back caseback, we left it in the same condition as we've bought it, has couple of tiny scratches,
but nothing deep.
Inside case : "OMEGA Watch co Fab. Suisse Swiss Made Acier Inoxydable 145012 - 67".
Movement: Manual wind Omega cal. 321, 17 jewels, serial 25,XXX,XXX, chronograph function works perfectly.
Crystal: Plexiglass,original
The watch comes with an original Omega Stainless Steel rice-beads bracelet, but not original to this watch.
We've attached also the letter where Ralph Plaisted is thanking Omega for supplying them such accurate Omega watches and resistant to such low temperatures.
The story of this expedition in French,with pictures, is enclosed as well.
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