Omega - The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII Geneva Saturday, May 13, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1969
    Reference No: BA 145.022
    Movement No: 28'422'491
    Case No: No.495
    Model Name: Speedmaster Professional, Apollo XI
    Material: 18K Yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: 18K yellow gold Omega bracelet, max length 210mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Omega deployant clasp, stamped 1116/575
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet signed, case with limited edition number 495
    Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract from the Archives dated December 23, 1969 and confirming its delivery to the Netherlands.

  • Catalogue Essay

    On July 20th, 1969, mankind achieved the unthinkable with the landing of the Apollo 11 lunar module on the surface of the moon. Led by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the Apollo 11 team became the first to step on the moon, and with them the Omega Speedmaster Professional became “the first watch worn on the moon”.

    The Omega speedmaster reference 145.022 in yellow gold was released following this historical event as a commemoration of this accomplishment. Omega produced 1014 examples with the first and second examples offered to the President and Vice-President of the United States, whom however declined them due to compliance reasons. The group up to watch number 32 were offered to mission astronauts and they were engraved “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time”. The remaining watches were sold to the general public and like the present example number 495, featured an engraved back reading “Omega Speedmaster-Apollo XI 1969-The First Watch Worn on the Moon”.

    Visually striking with gold dial, onyx numerals and burgundy bezel, the Omega reference 145.022 sits extremely comfortably on the wrist, as one would expect from a Speedmaster. The yellow gold case and bracelet further gives the timepiece a pleasant heftiness. Omega reissued a 50th anniversary 18K moonshine gold limited edition with sapphire caseback in 2019 as a tribute to the Moonwatch legacy, indicating how important the brand itself deems this model to be for its heritage.

    Preserved in excellent overall condition, the present timepiece features the period correct and sought-after D090 "Dot over 90" bezel that has faded to a deeper burgundy color further enhancing desirability and collectability.

  • Artist Biography

    Omega

    Swiss • 1848

    Omega'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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Ref. BA 145.022
A rare and highly attractive limited edition yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with burgundy bezel and bracelet, number 495 of a 1014 piece limited edition made to commemorate the Apollo XI Moon Landing.

1969
40mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet signed, case with limited edition number 495

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 40,000 
€20,800-41,600
$22,800-45,700

Sold for CHF35,560

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

+41 79 637 17 24
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 79 460 55 88
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII

Geneva Auction 13 - 14 May 2023