Your Chance To Own Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s Omega Speedmaster

In less than a week, we will commemorate the Apollo 11 lunar landing, which took place on July 20th, 1969. The first astronauts to set foot on the Moon were, of course, Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. The other Apollo 11 astronaut, Michael Collins, waited for them while orbiting the Moon in the Columbia command module. Aldrin, the only Apollo 11 astronaut still alive today (age 96), is also famous among watch enthusiasts for his lost Moonwatch.

Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin wearing his Speedmaster 105.012 — Image: NASA

Watches from Buzz Aldrin’s collection

Once in a while, some guy will turn up, claiming to have found (or own) it. But thus far, the Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012 worn by Buzz Aldrin, with NASA serial number 43, hasn’t been found. Apparently, it got lost in transit to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Over the years, I’ve met Aldrin on several occasions because he has long been one of Omega’s ambassadors. I even shared an elevator ride with him in 2017, which felt surreal (the elevator ride I had with Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford a year later was similarly so). On his wrist, he usually wore two watches, both connected to one bracelet. In 2017, I saw him wearing an X-33 connected to a gold De Ville. On his other wrist was the regular stainless steel Moonwatch.

Buzz Aldrin in Omega’s 2019 Apollo 11 50th-anniversary campaign

Omega often sent him the latest Speedmaster models to wear, including the Moonshine Gold Apollo 11 50th Anniversary edition with a serial number matching the original gold 1969 Speedmaster “Tribute to Astronauts” version he received at the November 1969 banquet in Houston.

That said, from the Buzz Aldrin Family Trust, Sotheby’s is offering quite a few lots, including 14 containing watches, eight of which are Omega models — four Speedmasters, two De Villes, one Seamaster 300M, and one Constellation.

Of the four Omega Speedmasters, two have a signed paper stating that they were in Aldrin’s personal collection, signed by someone other than Buzz but, apparently, with power of attorney. Let’s go through all three of the Speedmaster models on offer.

Image: Sotheby’s

Omega Speedmaster Professional 3590.50.00

This is the classic Moonwatch introduced in 1988, replacing the long-lived 145.022/145.0022 references. It has not only the then-new reference-number coding but also the bracelet (reference 1479) introduced with it. There are a few iterations of the Speedmaster Professional reference 3590.50, but this seems to be an early one. The dial printing, with the long “S” and “r” in “Speedmaster,” is a clear giveaway. The blue protective material on the case back reveals that this watch has probably not been worn much by the Apollo 11 astronaut. But the condition in general would give that away if the blue protective materials weren’t there. Sotheby’s estimates this Speedmaster Professional 3590.50 at US$8,000–12,000. You can find it and bid here.

Image: Sotheby’s

If you don’t have the funds (or the willingness) to stretch your budget, you can find some early Speedmaster 3590.50s on Chrono24 for around €4,000 here.

Image: Sotheby’s

Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold 310.60.42.50.99.002

One of the most impressive gold Speedmasters released in recent years (2022) is this “Pikachu” model, reference 310.60.42.50.99.002. It’s available with a rubber strap or the gold “Nixon” bracelet. Omega ensured the latter option was sent to Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Although Sotheby’s “experts” call it a pink gold limited edition, it’s not, of course. It’s a standard-production model that uses Omega’s proprietary yellow Moonshine Gold alloy. It makes you wonder why you have to pay a double-digit premium for “expert” involvement in creating these lot descriptions… Anyway, it’s a stunning gold Speedmaster with a panda dial. According to Sotheby’s, it’s a champagne dial, but in fact, it’s a solid Moonshine Gold dial with black sub-dials. This watch doesn’t appear to have been worn by the legendary Apollo 11 astronaut, but it’s still cool. The Sotheby’s estimate is US$40,000–60,000, and you can find it here.

Image: Sotheby’s

Omega’s retail price for this Speedmaster Professional 310.60.42.50.99.002 is US$53,500. If Aldrin’s watch stays well under retail, you’ll have two cool stories to tell your friends.

Image: Sotheby’s

Omega Speedmaster HB-SIA “Solar Impulse” 321.90.44.52.01.001

In 2008, Omega introduced a very special Speedmaster model. It was special not only because it was linked to the Solar Impulse project but also because it was made of titanium. Furthermore, it featured a carbon fiber dial and housed the F. Piguet 1285-based chronograph movement (Omega caliber 3603) with a Co-Axial escapement and a column wheel. It also has a GMT function. The Speedmaster HB-SIA “Solar Impulse” was a numbered edition (around 4,100 in total), and Buzz Aldrin’s watch has “No.3593” engraved on its case back. Sotheby’s “experts” wrote that it has a 41mm diameter, but it’s actually a 44.25mm case. The estimate is US$6,000–9,000. You can find it here.

Image: Sotheby’s

You can find a non-Aldrin-owned Speedmaster HB-SIA between €4,000 and €6,000 on the pre-owned market. It’s quite an interesting and underrated watch, and if you like the materials, it could be a good fit.

Image: Sotheby’s

Omega Speedmaster X-33 Gen 2 “NASA” 318.90.45.79.01.001

Last but certainly not least is Aldrin’s Speedmaster X-33 Gen 2. I recently covered this model in an article on the watches that flew on the NASA Artemis II mission. This X-33 is not the regular Gen 2 from Omega’s catalog. Rather, it’s one specifically made for supply to NASA and has reference number 318.90.45.79.01.001. Just like the Speedmaster Professional 3590.50, this X-33 comes with a letter of provenance signed by Aldrin’s power of attorney. As written above, I’ve seen Aldrin wearing an X-33, but that was the X-33 Skywalker model. The X-33 Gen 2, as offered for auction, is still the official watch supplied to all NASA astronauts.

Image: Sotheby’s

Recently, we could see the entire Artemis II crew wearing this watch during their mission to the Moon. The difference between the X-33 Gen 2 for the regular market (reference 3291.50) and this NASA-supplied reference 318.90.45.79.01.001 is mainly on the case back. It has an empty case back instead of the “Flight-qualified by NASA for space missions” engraving. Since Artemis II, there has hardly been any supply of these X-33 Gen 2 watches on the secondary market, so this might be your chance to own one, with the bonus that it was part of Aldrin’s watch collection. Sotheby’s estimates this watch at US$4,000–6,000, but the current bid is already $13,000. You can find it here.

Afterthoughts

The most interesting Speedmasters in this auction are the Professional 3590.50 and the X-33 Gen 2, both accompanied by a signed document confirming that they were part of Buzz Aldrin’s personal collection. Even though each was signed under a power of attorney, it still has provenance. The Speedmaster HB-SIA “Solar Impulse” shows some signs of wear, which might indicate that Buzz Aldrin wore it. Anyway, if you want to see all the lots of the Space Exploration auction, click here.

The live sale starts on July 15th at 10:00 EDT (16:00 CEST).