Abt—Where Space and Time Converge

Are you crazy for space-related things? Do people consider you something of an astro-nut? Well, you don’t actually have to be crazy, but you should have lots of extra cash lying around if you’d like to possess this rare collection of commemorative Moon Mission watches from Omega, now on display in our Abt Time Boutique.

In 1997, to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of its legendary Speedmaster Professional, Omega produced a collection of 23 Speedmaster watches presented in a valise covered with genuine NASA spacesuit cloth. Omega’s Speedmaster chronograph was flight-qualified by NASA in 1965 for all manned space missions, the only watch that withstood all of NASA’s severe tests involving zero gravity, shocks, and extreme temperatures.

Only 40 of these numbered sets were available for commercial sale, and the one at Abt is set number 9 in the series. The valise holds 22 stainless steel Speedmaster watches, and each one features a different official NASA mission patch on its dial, from the 1965 Gemini V to the 1973 Skylab SL-4. Included is the historic July 1969 Apollo 11 mission in which man first walked on the moon. The 23^rd watch in the set is a replica of the original 1957 Speedmaster, and the valise also contains an original certificate, guarantee, instructions, and a book detailing the missions represented in the set.

As the first and only watch to have been worn on the moon, the Speedmaster has been nicknamed the Moon Watch. If you can part with $150,000, this unique collection can be yours—and you could be watching the moon with your Moon Watches in no time. —by Graham W.