Geneva, May 08, 2022
LOT 534
Property of a British collector
OMEGA, REF. BA 345.0052.035, SPEEDMASTER “MIR”, No. 5/7, YELLOW GOLD
CHF 100,000 - 200,000
EUR 99,000 - 198,000 / USD 108,000 - 216,000 / HKD 850,000 - 1,690,000
Sold: CHF 312,500
An extremely fine, rare and historically important, manual wind, 18k yellow gold chronograph wristwatch transported to the MIR space station for 366 days.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: |
|
Case: 1-6 |
As new Slightly oxidized |
Movement: 1* |
As new Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Brand Omega, Switzerland
Model Speedmaster
Reference Year
Year sold in August 1995
Movement No. 48307678
Material 18K yellow gold
Bracelet leather
Buckle 18k yellow gold Omega deployant clasp
Diameter 42 mm.
Caliber 863, 17 jewels
Signature Dial, case and movement
Accessories original metal transport suitcase (with keys), blank warranty, certificate, Omega booklet, The Moon watch book, VHS tape, pen (signed Fisher space and Space Center Houston)
Notes
The MIR Watches This series of 35 watches spent 365 days on the MIR space station from July 1993 through July 1994.
The characteristics of the 35 watches is as follows: - Ref. ST 145.0022.105.1: Steel with leather bracelet, 10 examples - Ref. ST 345.0022.105: Steel with steel bracelet, 18 examples - Ref. BA 145.0052.035A: Gold with leather bracelet, 5 examples - Ref. BA 345. 0052.035: Gold with gold bracelet, 2 examples.
This series of watches were sold to the public in 1995 to mark the Atlantis-MIR Russo-American rendez-vous from June 29 to July 3, 1995, this being only the second joint Russo-American space venture. The watches were taken to the Mir space station to determine the long-term effect of zero gravity on a watch’s movement. After one year in space, the watches were returned to Omega and were all found to be functioning perfectly. This series of watches has therefore spent more time in space than any other watch. This, along with the fact that this watch is one of only five pieces of this reference, ensures that the present lot is not only one of the rarest Omega watches ever produced, but also a unique opportunity for a collector to obtain a watch that has been in space.
Mir was a Soviet (and later Russian) orbital station. It was man's first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space. Through a number of collaborations, it was made internationally accessible to the cosmonauts and astronauts of many different countries. Mir was assembled in orbit by successively connecting several modules, each launched separately from February 19, 1986 to 1996. Except for two short periods, Mir was continuously occupied until August 1999. The journey of the 15-year-old Russian space station ended on March 23, 2001, as Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and fell into the South Pacific Ocean.
Purchased new by the current consignor, it has only been worn on a very few occasions and is in virtually new condition apart from a few small surface scratches. It has then remained in the safe ever since developing oxydation on the case from not being worn. The watch has never been polished or serviced and is an amazing chance to own one of the five only made of this reference and to own a part of space history.