Watch Review: The Omega Gold Speedmaster from 1969
If you’re wondering where to sell a gold Omega Speedmaster, the answer has to be to a dealer who knows what he’s looking at. The very special limited-edition watch from Omega isn’t seen on the market very often, and when they do appear they don’t hang around for long.
Commemorating the 1969 Apollo XI mission and Moon landing, and celebrating the Speedmaster worn by Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin when he stepped on to the surface of the Moon, Omega released just over 1,000 18 carat gold Speedmasters, each one carefully engraved on the back.
The first two of the special-edition watches were inscribed with the names of Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Richard Nixon. Both of these timepieces are now in the Omega Museum in Switzerland. The others, numbering around 975 pieces, were issued on general sale to the public up to the year 1973, with a few being reserved for and later issued to astronauts.
Details
Differentiating it from the original Speedmaster, apart from the precious metal, of course, is the burgundy bezel (in place of the more familiar black Speedmaster bezel) and the commemorative inscriptions on the reverse of the case. The gold dial is vertically brushed and has a bevelled edge containing the register’s chapter rings. Black lacquered hands match the raised rectangular lacquered markers. The movement is the calibre 861 familiar from the steel versions and the one that successfully withstood space travel.
This movement was replaced later in the Speedmaster ‘moon watch’ with the calibre 1861 from the mid-nineties onward. All of the earliest numbered editions were personalised with a commemorative message celebrating the conquest of space. The inscribed watches bear the name of the astronaut along with the missions they took part in. The ones issued to the general public bear the following simple inscription: OMEGA SPEEDMASTER - APOLLO XI 1969 - THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON - (edition serial #).
Prices
Omega watch buying and owning the rarer models, such as this one, can be surrounding by unintentional misinformation if watches are sold by people who’re not fully conversant with the significance of the model they’re offering for sale. There is, for instance, confusion regarding the inscriptions on the rear of the gold Speedmaster as well as the presence or absence of the burgundy bezel and the accompanying original gold bracelet strap. Significant price differences happen if any of the original features of the 1969 run are missing or have been changed. Similarly, original paperwork and boxes are as important in valuing these watches as they are with any other high-end watch valuations.
Expect valuations on this watch, one of the rarest in today’s market, to be in the tens of thousands of pounds.
