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Astronaut Michael Collins’ 1969 Omega Speedmaster Is Up for Auction

As most watch enthusiasts know, the timepieces worn by the astronauts on the first-ever trip to the Moon during 1969’s Apollo 11 mission were Omega Speedmasters. While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent time on the Moon’s surface, Michael Collins stayed behind in the Command Module, serving as the guardian angel for arguably the most spectacular feat in human history.

Once the mission concluded and the three astronauts returned to Earth, Omega commissioned a new watch to commemorate the momentous occasion. This new Speedmaster Professional was made from 18K gold and given to personages of significance at the time, each with his or her name engraved on the back and numbered from 3 to 28 according to who had been with NASA the longest (numbers 1 and 2 were reserved for President Nixon and Vice President Agnew).

With Collins’ passing last year, his watch, numbered 19, is currently up for auction. The timepiece shows very little wear and is in good functioning condition, although the chronograph hour hand resets after the 12 o’clock position. The winner of this auction also receives a hand-written note from Collins himself briefly discussing his history with this gold Omega.

As for acquiring any of the watches that were actually worn by any of the men who have journeyed to the Moon and back, well, those belong to NASA and are virtually uncollectible. Because of that, a watch like the one currently for sale is about as close as you can get. Michael Collins’ Omega Speedmaster Professional is up for auction through June 1 via Heritage Auctions with the bidding at $105,000 as of this writing.

Purchase: $105,000+