Royal Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-khalifa spotted wearing a Omega

The Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, was recently photographed wearing a stainless steel Omega Speedmaster reference 105.003 — one of the most consequential wristwatches in the history of space exploration. That a head of a defence establishment would gravitate toward a watch with genuine field credentials is, perhaps, no coincidence.

The Omega Speedmaster 105.003 occupies a precise and defining window in the model's chronology. Produced from approximately 1964 to 1969, it is the generation that underwent NASA's rigorous qualification testing in 1965 and was subsequently approved for all manned space missions, including the Gemini program and the Apollo lunar landings. Its most visually distinctive feature is the straight lug configuration — carried over from earlier references such as the 105.002 — making it the last Speedmaster generation built this way before Omega transitioned to the angled lugs that would define the 'Professional' era. Crucially, the dial of the 105.003 does not yet carry the word 'Professional,' earning it the collector designation 'Pre-Professional.' Powering the watch is the legendary Lemania-based calibre 321, a column-wheel chronograph movement widely regarded as one of the finest manually wound ebauches ever produced, later replaced by the cal. 861 in 1969.

Among Speedmaster collectors, the 105.003 commands deep respect. The calibre 321 alone drives significant premiums, but combined with the straight-lug case, the Pre-Professional dial, and the direct NASA lineage, the 105.003 sits firmly in the upper tier of vintage Speedmaster desirability. Condition, dial originality, and tritium lume integrity are critical value drivers for this reference.

Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa serves as Crown Prince of Bahrain and Supreme Commander of the Bahrain Defence Force, a figure whose public appearances are closely watched across the Gulf. Wearing a vintage tool watch of this calibre — rather than a contemporary luxury statement piece — signals a considered horological sensibility.

On the grey market, honest examples of the Omega Speedmaster 105.003 with original dials and functioning cal. 321 movements trade between $15,000 and $35,000 depending on condition, with exceptional examples pushing higher at auction. No current retail equivalent exists; this is strictly a vintage proposition.