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Sale 49
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Lot 123
Apollo 12, 1969, 18kt. Gold Speedmaster Professional Wristwatch (No. 20) This limited edition wristwatch and band are inscribed on the reverse "Astronaut Richard R. (sic.) Gordon / to mark man's conquest of space with time, through time, on time / Gemini 11 - Apollo 12". The back of the watch and the Omega watchband are original and both are 18kt gold.
According to C. Bradley Jacobs as originally published in International Wristwatch, December 2002, "The 1969 Commemorative Speedmaster, Model BA, 145.022-69, was the first Speedmaster ever made of gold. Aside from the case material, the only differences between it and the NASA-issue Speedmasters are the gold dial, burgundy bezel, and the inscriptions on the back. Its heart is the same Calibre 861 as the steel model; the same as Omegas worn by NASA astronauts from 1969 until the revised Calibre 1861 became the standard movement in the Speedmaster "Moon Watch" in the mid-1990s.
Initially the Apollo XI Commemorative "was offered to each of the astronauts active at that time at a gala (in honor of Apollo 11) dinner November 25, 1969 at (the) Hotel Warwick in Houston". The first thirty watches were, according to John Diethelm of Omega Public Relations, "created in tribute to the sensational exploit of Man's first landing on the Moon". Numbers 3 through 28 were personalized and presented to (the) astronauts in NASA's space program. The lower numbers were reserved for those astronauts who had been with NASA the longest….Additionally, the astronaut's watches were inscribed with their name and rank (if any), and the names of the missions which they had flown to date.
The watches numbered 1 and 2 in the series, having been refused by their intended recipients (President Nixon and Vice-President Agnew) presently reside in the Omega museum in Switzerland….The saga of Omega's premier solid gold Speedmaster Professional does not end with the watches delivered to these noteworthy personalities (the astronauts). According to an Antiquorum auction catalog from their October 1995 sale in Geneva, "an initial series of 50 to 100 pieces were produced, followed by subsequent series until a total of 1014 pieces were reached in 1973. Coorespondence with Omega revealed that they offered a small series for sale to the public early in 1970 which, due to unexpected demand, was expanded to the entire production of 1014 watches, all made in 1969. A run of later numbers (Nos. 1001-1008) was given in 1972 to astronauts from Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17…. All others, "up to No. 1014, have been sold or distributed for very special occasions". All the watches that were sold to the public are identical to the others, but for the engraving (on the reverse). The inscription on the caseback (now steel, not gold) was changed to read: "Omega Speedmaster / Apollo XI 1969 / The First Watch Worn on the Moon / Edition Serial No."…".
The consignor's example of this rare watch is in exceptional condition, showing some wear, mainly confined to the burgundy bezel. The watch includes its original Omega presentation case (minor faults) and a business card from Joseph Susman / Premium and Industrial Sales / Gruen Watch Company with a typed note on the reverse that reads: "If anything is wrong with your watch, please return to my attention". Of interest to specialists is the fact that this is probably the only example of this watch on which a spelling error in the astronaut's name (middle initial "R" instead of "F") has been made.
A list of which astronaut received which watch is known. Some of the highlights of this list include #3 (Shepard), #17 (Armstrong), #19 (Collins), #21 (Aldrin), #27 (Slayton) and #28 (Chaffee). Only a few of these watches have been sold over the years. This is an opportunity to acquire a fine timepiece and a piece of history. A muticolor hand-signed certificate of authenticity from the consignor is included.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 35,000.
Ex. the astronaut Richard F. Gordon collection.
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| Realized $27,500 |
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