OMEGAMANIA

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Apr 15, 2007

LOT 19

APOLLO-SOYUZ

Omega, "Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz", No. 39927934. Ref. ST 145.022. Made in a limited edition of 500 examples in 1975 to mark the occasion of the joint Russo-American ?Apollo-Soyuz? mission. Sold on January 31, 1978. Very rare and fine, asymmetric, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with round button chronograph and registers, and a stainless steel Omega link bracelet. This watch is sold with a box, Certificate of Authenticity, and 2-year Omega guarantee.

CHF 10,000 - 15,000

EUR 6,300 - 10,000 / USD 8,300 - 12,000

Sold: CHF 25,960

C. Three-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back engraved with the Gemini rocket over the Atlantic Ocean and the Continents of Europe, Africa and the Americas surrounded by the dedication: "Gemini * Apollo * Soyuz (in Russian)", anti-magnetic protecting cap, tachometer graduation on the black bezel, lyre lugs. D. Black with luminous indexes, outer minute and fifth second divisions, subsidiary dials for the constant seconds, 12 hour and 30 minute registers, belowthe 12, the blue and red "Apollo-Soyuz" logo in English and in Russian. Luminous white "baton" hands. M. Cal. 861, copper-colored, 17 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 42 mm. Thickness 14.5 mm. From the Collection of Fabrizio Mauri


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

This watch was made to commemorate one of the most significant events in space history, the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission, which was the first joint American-Soviet mission. This historical mission was first considered in 1972 and marked a cold-war breakthrough. Prior to this mission, the Soviet Space Agency used a multitude of watches for its missions, however one brave Omega executive told the Cosmonauts that ?if they wanted to be on time for their rendezvous with the Americans they should be wearing the same watches?. From that day the ?Speedmaster? became the official watch of the Cosmonauts. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was the first joint flight of the U.S. and Soviet space programs in 1975. It was the last Apollo flight, as well as the last manned space launch until the flight of the first Space Shuttle in April 1981. For the Soviet Union it was the last manned space flight until Soyuz 21 in June 1976. The Soyuz 19 and Apollo flights launched within seven-and-a-half hours of each other on July 15, and docked on July 17. On that date the two mission commanders, Stafford and Leonov, exchanged the first international handshake in space. The two spacecraft were linked for 44 hours, during which the three Americans and two Soviets exchanged flags and gifts (including tree seeds which were later planted in both countries), signed certificates, paid visits to each other's ships, ate together, and conversed in each other's languages. The Soviets remained in space for five days, and the Americans for nine.