Auction: Space-Flown Watches From a Rolex GMT-Master to Omega Speedmasters
Ahead of the international watch auction season that kicks off in a few weeks, Boston-based RR Auction has opened an online auction that will interest those hunting especially rare, space-flown watches. Simply titled Space, the auction is focused primarily on space memorabilia, and includes three space-flown wristwatches that warrant a closer look, including a French astronaut’s Speedmaster that spent almost six hours in space. Known for its sales focused on historical memorabilia, particularly those relating to space exploration, RR Auction has notched up several notable watch sales in the past, including a Bulova chronograph worn on the Moon that sold for almost US$1.6 million in 2015. We round up highlights from the upcoming sale, which closes October 24, 2024. The catalogue and bidding are available online. Lot 6286 – Rolex GMT-Master II flown on Apollo 14 by Edgar Mitchell First up is the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 1675 worn by astronaut Edgar Mitchell on the Apollo 14 mission that landed on the Moon in February 1971. Enhancing its appeal, the watch has tangible provenance: actually be seen in archival footage recording prior to take-off and in onboard footage taken during the mission. While the GMT-Master II was not uncommon among astronauts of that period – it was conceived as a watch for pilots after all – few actually made it to space. This example is only the second lunar Rolex to be sold publicly, after Ron Evans’s GMT-Master II worn on Apollo 17, whic...
