A rare stainless steel Omega Speedmaster watch with two nicknames - ‘Pre Moon’ and ‘Ed White’- exceeded expectations when it smashed through the guide price at the recent Jewellery, Silver and Watches sale and sold for £10,000. The 105.003-65 model is known as the ‘Ed White’ in recognition of the astronaut Edward Higgins White II, the first American to ‘walk in space’ in June 1965. During his historic spacewalk White wore an Omega Speedmaster of the same model strapped to the outside of his G4C space suit. It was the first time a wristwatch was exposed to the vacuum of space. A later version of this watch was worn by astronauts on the first moon landing in 1969 and is to this day known as the ‘moonwatch.’ Earlier models, such as this one, are informally known as ‘Pre Moon’ Speedmasters because their manufacture predates the Moon landings, and are extremely collectable and sought after, as the fierce bidding and high price achieved demonstrated. This stunning timepiece was sold complete with the Omega Guarantee Booklet and Card dated 4/12/66 and the original Warranty Certificate from retailer J.W. Benson firmly underscoring its provenance.