Buzz Aldrin — watch collection

About Buzz Aldrin’s watch collection

Buzz Aldrin is one of the most celebrated figures in the history of human spaceflight. Born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in 1930, he served as a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force before being selected as a NASA astronaut in 1963. On July 20, 1969, he became the second human being to walk on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, following mission commander Neil Armstrong. Beyond Apollo 11, Aldrin also flew on the Gemini 12 mission in 1966, where he performed a then-record-setting spacewalk. After retiring from NASA, he remained a prominent advocate for space exploration, authoring multiple books and continuing to push for a crewed mission to Mars well into his later decades.

When it comes to watches, Aldrin's name is permanently linked to a single brand: Omega. Specifically, the Buzz Aldrin watch collection centers on the Omega Speedmaster Professional, reference 105.012 — the exact watch he wore on his wrist during the Apollo 11 lunar mission in 1969. This reference featured a 42mm stainless steel case, the caliber 321 movement, and the now-familiar black dial with applied hour markers. It is worth noting that Armstrong left his Speedmaster inside the lunar module as a backup timer, meaning Aldrin's watch was technically the first of the two to touch the lunar surface. NASA had officially certified the Speedmaster Professional for all crewed spaceflight following rigorous testing in 1965, and Aldrin's mission use cemented that relationship in history.

What the Buzz Aldrin watch collection reflects, in practical terms, is less about accumulation and more about a single, well-documented moment of verified provenance. The reference 105.012 he wore is among the most historically significant Omega Speedmaster variants ever produced, predating the more commonly seen 145.012. Its connection to a specific person on a specific date — one of the most documented events of the 20th century — places it in a category well beyond most collectible watches.