819
Omega
Ref. ST 345.0022.105 – PIC 3596.50.00
Speedmaster, “MIR 365 Days”
An exceptional and rare limited edition stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with “MIR – 365 Days” caseback inscription, bracelet, international warranty and box, numbered 12 of a limited edition of 28 pieces which flown in space for a year
- Estimate
- HK$310,000 - 620,000€35,700 - 71,400$40,000 - 80,000
HK$1,375,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Omega
- Year
- 1993
- Reference No
- ST 345.0022.105 – PIC 3596.50.00
- Movement No
- 48’294’626
- Model Name
- Speedmaster, “MIR 365 Days”
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Calibre
- Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Stainless steel Omega bracelet, max length 200 mm
- Clasp/Buckle
- Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped 1479
- Dimensions
- 42 mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, bracelet and movement signed
- Accessories
- With International Warranty stamped by Barth AG, limited edition Certificate, Omega red watch holder, VHS tape and Omega black book-like presentation box. Further delivered with Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1993 and its delivery to Switzerland
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
While many commemorative endeavors were made for various space missions and accomplishments, the present watch is actually part of an aerospace project, as it physically stayed in space for 365 days at the MIR space station, earning the coveted title of a "flown" wristwatch.
MIR, meaning peace or world in Russian, was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, serving as a microgravity research laboratory. One of the research projects that was conducted on the MIR was in July 1993, which allowed for 35 Speedmaster Professionals to be taken to the space station for 365 days with the purpose of observing and forming the effects of microgravity on watch movements. There are in total 28 stainless steel examples, and 7 pieces in yellow gold. After the 35 Speedmaster Professionals were tested on MIR, flown in space, returned to Earth, Omega scrutinized them and later offered them for sale with an engraved case back noting this epoch-defining milestone.
The watch is preserved in overall excellent condition, with virtually no visible scuffs or signs of wear. The exact same watch is, numbered 12/28, is featured in Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié, Moonwatch Only: 60 Years of Omega Speedmaster. Completed with its original accessories, the present lot is an unmissable chance for watch lovers and space enthusiasts to own mementos which chronicle one of the most important space missions in the history of humanity.
MIR, meaning peace or world in Russian, was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, serving as a microgravity research laboratory. One of the research projects that was conducted on the MIR was in July 1993, which allowed for 35 Speedmaster Professionals to be taken to the space station for 365 days with the purpose of observing and forming the effects of microgravity on watch movements. There are in total 28 stainless steel examples, and 7 pieces in yellow gold. After the 35 Speedmaster Professionals were tested on MIR, flown in space, returned to Earth, Omega scrutinized them and later offered them for sale with an engraved case back noting this epoch-defining milestone.
The watch is preserved in overall excellent condition, with virtually no visible scuffs or signs of wear. The exact same watch is, numbered 12/28, is featured in Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié, Moonwatch Only: 60 Years of Omega Speedmaster. Completed with its original accessories, the present lot is an unmissable chance for watch lovers and space enthusiasts to own mementos which chronicle one of the most important space missions in the history of humanity.
Literature
Omega
Swiss | 1848Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.
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