In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Omega watch landing on the moon, sales at Sotheby’s dedicated auction of Omega Speedmasters totaled $1.2 million.
An early stainless steel Speedmaster Broad Arrow chronograph, made in in 1958 ,smashed its pre-sale estimate to achieve a hammer price of $250,000.
A 1969 yellow gold Speedmaster Ref 145.022-69 ‘Apollo XI’, a watch given to members of the Apollo 11 mission, sold for $68,750.
“It has been exciting to put together this sale of Omega Speedmasters, commemorating the watch that Buzz Aldrin wore on the moon exactly 50 years ago. Today’s results affirm the strength of the market for rare stainless-steel sports watches – from the Ref 2915-1 ‘Broad Arrow’, the first Speedmaster model ever created, to the Ref 145.012-67 ‘Ultraman’, named after its appearance in the Japanese television series, to the Alaska III Ref 145.022, made for NASA’s Space Shuttle program in 1978. We were particularly encouraged to see strong interest and participation this afternoon from first-time watch collectors,” says Nate Borgelt, head of sale for Sotheby’s Watch Department in New York.
AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
The sale was led by Omega Speedmaster 2915-1 ‘Broad Arrow’ – the first Speedmaster model ever created. Today’s most coveted iteration, the Speedmaster 2915-1’s manufacturing era lasted slightly more than a year between 1957 and 1958, making this scarce reference difficult to find in today’s market. The dial configuration, the tachometer scale engraved into the metal bezel, the renowned caliber 321, the lack of crown guards, the applied Omega logo, and the large “broad arrow” hour hands are all distinguishing traits that differentiate this Speedmaster from its successors.
