Space travel has been in the news again, with the public mesmerized by the long-delayed return to Earth of the Boeing Starliner astronauts whose week-long voyage to the International Space Station lasted nine months.
Now space aficionados have a chance to purchase the Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph watch created for iconic astronaut Neil Armstrong to celebrate NASA’s Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. The piece has been put up for auction at Boston-based RR Auction by a private owner with the support of the astronaut’s son, Mark Armstrong.
Although the 18-karat solid yellow gold watch didn’t make the journey to the moon that July — Armstrong wore a different Omega Speedmaster on the journey — it was presented to him at a gala dinner held in Houston on Nov. 25, 1969. Known as the “Tribute to Astronauts” edition, only 26 pieces were made and presented exclusively to NASA astronauts as tributes. Armstrong’s watch, number 17, is engraved: Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Gemini 8 — Apollo 11 and inscribed: “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.”
You May Also Like
The watch, which is among Omega’s first gold Speedmasters, features a burgundy aluminum bezel insert marked with a “dot over 90,” a signature of some of the brand’s vintage models. The solid gold dial is marked with an OM, indicating solid gold, and Swiss made. It has black hands with gold centers, and faceted onyx hour markers set in gold frames. It is housed in a gold bracelet with hollow links and a decorated 14 mm clasp.
A similar watch from astronaut Wally Schirra sold at RR Auction in October 2022 for nearly $2 million. However, the version presented to Armstrong, who was the first moonwalker and commander of the Apollo 11 mission, is expected to exceed that price.
Half of the sale price will be donated to charities chosen by Mark Armstrong. “”This watch, which my father liked to wear on special occasions, symbolizes one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of mankind,” he said. “A substantial portion of the proceeds from the sale of this watch will benefit charitable causes my father believed in, furthering the impact that he and many other Americans made to humanity more than half a century ago.”
The current owner will also donate a portion of the remaining proceeds to The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation of Wisconsin.
The auction will be held at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge, Mass., on April 17.
