An Apollo 11 astronaut’s watch is expected to fetch a whopping £80,700 ($100,000) at auction.
The 18k yellow gold Omega belonged to Richard F. Gordon Jr, an American naval officer, test pilot and NASA astronaut, who was one of six people to fly to the moon in the Apollo 12 mission.
A quote engraved on the back reads: “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.”
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Omega initially created 26 commemorative watches, officially called the Omega Speedmaster Professional BA 145.022, to present to NASA astronauts alive and deceased.
Richard was presented with his at a special gala dinner at the Hotel Warick in Houston, Texas, in November 1969, just one week before his expedition on the 14th.
It became known as the ‘Tribute to Astronauts’ watch, What’s The Jam reports.
Along with the quote, the case is engraved with Richard’s name, mission and unique number.
Issued as “No.20”, the note reads: “Astronaut Richard R. Gordon, Gemini 11 – Apollo 12.”
The watch’s gold bezel has a burgundy red aluminium inlay, with the famous ‘dot over 90’ feature, identifying a particular vintage.
The hour markers are made of onyx, have two facets each and are set in gold frames.
The hands are black with gold centres and are set against a solid gold dial.
Cosmetically, the timepiece does show some wear from use, with a few scratches to the clasp and crystal.
Along with the watch, the winning bidder will receive a typed letter, signed by Richard Gordon, which reads: “This Apollo era, special edition, Omega wristwatch was presented to me by Omega during an Apollo XI celebration dinner.”
He goes on to recognise the error in the engraving, which has an “R” instead of his actual middle initial, “F”.
Richard died in San Marcos, California, on 6 November 2017, at the age of 88.
Experts say the timepiece, steeped in both historical significance and luxurious craftsmanship, marks a pivotal moment in the intersection of watchmaking and space exploration.
The watch’s current bid is at £50,618 ($62,671) and is expected to reach £80,700 ($100,000) via RR Auction.
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