Apollo 14 astronaut's watch sells for record price at auction

The watch of NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who visited the moon in 1971, was sold at an online auction. It was sold for 2.2 million dollars.

This accessory – the most expensive astronaut watch ever auctioned, according to Space.com.

During the lunar missions, NASA issued Omega Speedmaster Professional watches to crew members, which were attached to the sticky parts of their spacesuits for use in outer space. .

Instead, some Apollo astronauts took personal watches aboard their spacecraft, mostly covertly. Avid collectors managed to spot these accessories on historical photos and videos.

Edgar Mitchell became the sixth person in human history to walk on the surface of the moon. However, it is not known whether the astronaut wore his Rolex when he took the historic steps on Earth's satellite.

The company organizing the auction described Edgar Mitchell's Rolex GMT-Master as being in “excellent cosmetic condition, with light scratches and scuffs. from use”.

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The case back is engraved with the inscription: “Worn by Commander E. Mitchell on Apollo 14, 1971. To Carleen – my daughter”.

The watch was sold with a certificate of authenticity signed by the astronaut.

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Before the start of the sale, the auction organizer estimated that the final amount for which the watch will be sold will exceed $400,000.

Bidding began on September 26 and ended on October 24 – during this period, the organizers received more than 30 applications from those willing to purchase the accessory.

In the end, the Apollo 14 astronaut's watch went under the hammer for almost 2.2 million dollars. The accessory is the most expensive item the company has sold since it was founded in 1976.

“There is a huge appeal for watch collectors who don't necessarily collect things that have been in space. >

Watch collectors appreciate the importance of reliable timepieces used in historic lunar missions”, – said Bobby Livingston, RR Auction Executive Vice President of Public Affairs.