In just a couple of days, a particularly unique timepiece is to go under the auctioneer’s hammer at a sale in Boston; the only privately owned watch to have been worn on the surface of the moon.
The piece in question is a Bulova Wrist Chronograph – something which may come as a surprise to those who know NASA’s longstanding association with Omega watches. It was owned by Commander David Scott, the seventh of only twelve men to set foot on the lunar landscape, and it was on his wrist when he walked on the moon in 1971 as part of the Apollo 15 mission. On his return, it remained in his possession, unlike other watches which made the same journey and were later donated to museums.
Officially, the Apollo astronauts sported Omega Speedmaster watches. The very first watch in space was the personal timepiece of astronaut Wally Schirra, an Omega Speedmaster CK 2998. He wore it on the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, in 1962. The Omega Speedmaster ‘First Omega in Space’ Moonwatch, produced in 2012, pays tribute to this piece, and is available today at £3,400.00, or 36 monthly payments of £75.56 and a 20% deposit.
NASA had yet to confirm an official timepiece for space missions at this time; they solicited bids from a number of respected brands, many of whom were already familiar to the pilots who were now joining the ranks of the astronaut corps. Breitling, Rolex, Longines and Bulova were considered; the forerunners were put through rigorous testing to ensure a chronograph that would be able to retain accuracy under the extraordinary conditions of space travel.
By 1965, the Omega Speedmaster was confirmed as NASA’s official watch for space missions, and thus one was on Buzz Aldrin’s wrist, outside his spacesuit, when he became the second man on the moon. Neil Armstrong had one too, of course, but he wasn’t wearing it as he stepped out and uttered his most famous words – the timer in the lunar module had malfunctioned, so he left his watch there as a backup. The whereabouts of that first lunar watch are today unknown; when Aldrin sent it to the Smithsonian Institution, it apparently became lost in shipping.
During the infamous Apollo 13 mission in 1970, it was an Omega Speedmaster watch that helped save the day; this timepiece belonged to Jack Swigert, and was used to time the 14 second mid-course correction which allowed the astronauts to safely return to Earth. It was in recognition of this feat that Omega was presented with the Silver Snoopy Award, an accolade given to NASA employees and contractors for outstanding contributions to human flight safety or mission success. This was reflected in the limited edition Omega Speedmaster Professional Silver Snoopy Award Watch, produced in a run of only 1970 pieces and now, unsurprisingly, sold out.
So, how did Scott come to be wearing a Bulova watch on the moon in 1971? He was, of course, issued with an official Omega Speedmaster watch – but only one. If contact with Mission Control was lost during a moonwalk, the astronaut’s watch was the only way to monitor personal life support systems. Bulova had petitioned the astronaut to take their watch to the moon to prove the capability of American watchmaking, and so he did, secretly smuggling it aboard as a backup, and wearing it on his third expedition to the lunar surface. However, the fact remained that NASA had not officially recognised the Bulova chronograph as a space-worthy watch; only Omega retained that title.
With this particular timepiece being so unique, it is expected to reach a price of up to $1million. For a more reasonably priced taste of both astronautical and horological history, you can see our full range of Omega Speedmaster watches on our website or in our Lancaster store. For more information, call us on 01524 384858, or keep up to date with our news on Facebook and Twitter.