OMEGAMANIA

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Apr 15, 2007

LOT 231

MICHAEL COLLINS ?SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL?

Omega, ?Speedmaster Professional?, No. 26074556, Ref. ST 145.012-67 SP2. Sold on June 24, 1968. Fine and historically important,asymmetric, water-resistant, stainless steel gentleman`s wristwatch with round-button chronograph, 12-hour and 30-minute registers, tachometer, black bezel with tachometer. Case back engraved: ?Omega Speedmaster ? First Watch Worn On The Moon, Michael Collins, 07/1969 ? Apollo XI 1969 NASA, 98./4?. Later stainless steel Omega bracelet with deployant clasp engraved: ?Speedmaster - US NavyDeepsea Submarines, SSBN OHIO?. This watch is sold with a box, Certificate of Authenticity, and a 2-year Omega guarantee.

CHF 6,000 - 8,000

EUR 3,800 - 5,000 / USD 5,000 - 6,500

Sold: CHF 30,680

C. Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, lyre lugs, crown and pusher with integral guard, stainless steel bezel with inserted black aluminium tachometer ring graduated to 500 UPH, hesalite crystal. D. Matte black with painted luminous baton indexes, outer minute/seconds and 1/5th seconds divisions, sunk subsidiary dials for the seconds, 12-hour and 30-minute registers. Luminous white ?baton? hands, luminous white hand for the central seconds. M. Cal. 321, copper-colored, 17 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, index regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Dim. 42 x 48 mm. Thickness 15 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-10

Good

Patinated
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. ST 145.012-67 SP2 was launched in 1967. The letters ?SP 2? stand for ?special 2?, indicating larger and more resistant chronograph pushers.
Michael Collins was the pilot on the Apollo XI mission that saw the first manned landing on the moon. Collins` other space flight was the threeday Gemini 10 mission in July 1966. Born in Italy in 1930, Collins joined NASA after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and serving as a test pilot with the U.S. Air Force. He left NASA in 1970 to take up posts in the public and private sectors. He retired from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of Major General. The present watch has a unique dedication inscription similar to that of the gold Apollon XI 1969 limited edition, dated 07 1969. The bracelet and clasp are later and have the inscription of the USS Ohio. This inscription was probably added to the bracelet when the miltary contracting company, then headed by Michael Collins, was involved in the conversion of the SSBN Ohio to a non-ballistic submarine.