Omega - The Geneva Watch Auction: XV Geneva Saturday, May 7, 2022 | Phillips

The Geneva Watch Auction: XV

Geneva Auction 7 - 8 May 2022

  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1970
    Reference No: BA 145.022
    Movement No: 29'117'172
    Case No: 914
    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 180mm
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Omega deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract of the Archives confirming production of the present watch with 18K solid yellow gold dial, and its subsequent sale to Italy on April 14, 1970.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Reference 145.022 in yellow gold was released following the historical moon landing in 1969, as a celebration of the event and - indirectly - of Omega’s partnership with NASA. With only 1,014 examples produced, the reference has achieved by now a near mythical status in virtue of its unrestrained luxurious looks, rarity and historical importance. While the series comprises 1014 pieces, they are not all identical to each other, both for looks and for intended destination. One can identify the following main “groups”:

    - The first and second examples were offered to the President and Vice-President of the United States (who never accepted the gift as too expensive, and now reside in the Omega museum).
    - Number 3 to 32 were offered to mission astronauts and they were engraved “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time” and with the name of the recipient.
    - Numbers 29 to 32 were given to Swiss personalities. They bear the same inscriptions as the astronaut’s timepieces, but have no sequential number (apparently making these pieces the only 3 watches of the edition with this peculiarity)
    - Nos. 33 to 1000 were commercialised. The caseback is inscribed as seen on this piece; early models feature a simple engraving, later models - such as the present lot - feature an burgundy-coloured engraving
    - Numbers 1001 to 1008 were presented between ’71 and '73 to astronauts who had not yet taken part in a space mission in 1969 (to be precise, astronauts participating in Apollo XIV to XVII missions. It is unclear why Apollo XIII astronauts did not receive a timepiece).
    - The final 6 pieces (1009 - 1014) were given to various personalities

    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.

  • 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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267

Omega

Ref. BA 145.022
A highly rare, attractive and well-preserved yellow gold limited edition chronograph wristwatch with solid gold dial, burgundy bezel, engraved back and bracelet, number 914 of a 1014 piece limited edition

1970
40mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF25,000 - 50,000 
€24,600-49,100
$26,500-53,100

Sold for CHF52,920

Contact Specialist

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

+41 22 317 81 81
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 22 317 96 63
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XV

Geneva Auction 7 - 8 May 2022