Auctions
Tiffany Stamped Speedmaster?
However, the truly monumental moment in the Speedmaster’s lifetime would come in the following year, when it became the first watch to be worn on the moon.
On July 21st, 1969 astronauts Buzz Aldrin wearing the ST 105.012, Neil Armstrong, also, wearing the ST 105.012 and Michael Collins wearing the ST 145.012 successfully landed the Apollo 11 lunar module on the moon’s surface. The Speedmaster had now earned itself a place in horological history unlike any other.
This new badge of honor elevated the Speedmaster from an object of great utility, to a highly desirable object of great utility. Henceforth, there was essentially a shift in the way that the chronograph was perceived. Whereas, prior to the Apollo 11 mission, most luxury retailers would’ve never thought to carry the Speedmaster, the same saw the timepiece in a very different light now.
Perhaps a now famous instance is the 18K white gold Elvis Presley Omega wristwatch that Phillips sold at the Geneva Auction Week: Seven sale for USD1.5mil; now a proud property of the Omega Museum.
There are, however, some bumps in this theory. Take for instance, the Tiffany stamped 1966 105.012-65 that is pictured in the Moonwatch Only book. The owner of this particular specimen has even posted about it on omegaforums.net with a picture of the watch accompanied by an extract from Omega stating the extra logo on the dial.
The answer to that question remains elusive for now. But hey, thanks to the piece pictured on the top of this page, which has turned up in the Phillips & Blackbird: SPORTS Auction catalog, we at least know to dig up more about the Tiffany stamped Speedmasters.
Price estimate on this one is listed as USD15,000 – 25,000 in the catalog, but with the way that vintage Speedmasters have been climbing the price ladders, we can only assume that a watch — with only three other instances known of — is sure to garner a fair bit of attention.
Auction Details
Phillips & Blackbird: SPORTS Auction, 27 May 2019 6:30pm HKT
The Phillips Hong Kong Watch Auction: EIGHT, 28 May 12pm HKT
JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong
88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong (map)