Research at the Omega Museum settled a question collectors argued about for decades: the reference on the wrists of Apollo 11 was the ST 105.012. Buzz Aldrin wore his onto the lunar surface; Neil Armstrong left his aboard the Eagle as a backup after the module's onboard timer failed, which is why the first watch worn on the moon belonged to the second man on it. No other reference in any catalog carries a provenance like that.
The 105.012 also built the case every Moonwatch since has worn: the asymmetric profile shielding the crown and pushers, the twisted lyre lugs, and Professional on the dial for the first time. Produced from roughly 1964 to 1968 across several sub-references and case suppliers, it is the physical template of the Speedmaster as the world knows it.
The moonwatch, without qualification. Demand for the Apollo 11 reference keeps premiums high and part-swapping profitable, and the sub-reference and case-maker details are where correctness is decided. The honest alternative for most budgets is the 145.022 next door; the honest version of this one takes patience and verification.
Production windows and specifications compiled from documented collector references and period catalogs, cross-checked across independent sources; manufacturer records for this era are approximate by Seiko's own account.