Watch Paparazzi

Astronaut Michael Collins spotted wearing Omega

In 1969, to commemorate the Apollo 11 lunar landing, Omega produced a strictly limited series of Speedmaster Professional chronographs in solid 18-karat yellow gold. The first thirty examples were conceived as presentation pieces for the heroes of the space age, and the watch now associated with Michael Collins — Command Module Pilot of Apollo 11 — represents one of the most historically loaded wristwatches ever to come to market. Accompanied by a handwritten letter of provenance signed by Collins and a signed photograph, the lot sold for $765,000, underscoring the irreplaceable intersection of horological craft and human achievement.

The reference in question is the Omega Speedmaster BA145.022, the gold Apollo XI commemorative variant of the iconic professional chronograph. The case is crafted in 18k yellow gold, housing the manually wound calibre 861 — a column-wheel movement with a horizontal clutch and a 48-hour power reserve — the same movement that rode to the Moon on the steel Speedmaster ref. 105.012. The dial, now patinated to a rich champagne tone consistent with decades of age, retains its original square applied gold hour markers and the triple-register layout characteristic of the Speedmaster Professional lineage. The bezel insert, rendered in polished gold with the tachymètre scale, shows honest wear.

Of the first thirty pieces produced, units 1 and 2 were intended for President Nixon and Vice President Agnew respectively; both were declined and now reside permanently in the Omega Museum in Biel. Numbers 3 through 28 were personalised and presented to the astronauts of the Apollo programme, making each surviving example traceable to a named individual. Collins' piece carries serial number 1071, and the accompanying documentation — verified by auction specialists — confirms its unbroken chain of custody.

Michael Collins, who orbited the Moon alone in Columbia while Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface, has long been regarded as the quietly essential figure of Apollo 11. His watch is, in a sense, the only one from that mission that never touched the lunar surface — yet its auction result rivals those of far more publicised artefacts, a reflection of serious collector demand for objects with documented, singular provenance.

On the secondary market, the Omega Speedmaster BA145.022 in standard configuration — without astronaut provenance — already commands figures well into six digits. Collins' personal example, with its complete documentation package, shattered expectations and set a new benchmark for the reference. For collectors at the intersection of space history and haute horology, it is difficult to imagine a more complete acquisition.