Limited edition 30th Anniversary Omega Speedmaster Professional Moon Watch, numbered 1195/9999, manufactured by Omega in 1999 to celebrate the anniversary of the first moon landing. The stainless steel case houses a manual-winding Omega chronograph movement, calibre 1866 with rhodium-plated finish. The caseback is stamped with the Apollo 11 mission emblem and engraved with Neil Armstrong’s first words upon landing, “Hello Houston, Tranquility Base here, the Eagle has landed,” as well as the date and time, “July 21, 1969, 02:56 GMT.” Includes the original black leather presentation case, box, certificate of authenticity, instruction and service booklets, and three additional bracelet links. In fine condition, with expected light marks and scratches to band from use. NASA subjected several brands of watches to tests under extreme environmental conditions before determining which would be issued to their astronauts—they were subjected to environmental conditions ranging from 0 to 200 °F, tested under 95% humidity for ten days at a time, exposed to high acceleration and shock forces, and experienced severe air pressures and vibrations. After about three years of this extreme testing the evaluation concluded in March 1965 with the selection of the Speedmaster, which survived the tests while remaining largely within 5 seconds per day rate. The Omega Speedmaster Moon Watch has gone on to become one of the most iconic timepieces ever created and is intimately associated with the Apollo program. A highly desirable limited edition watch representing NASA’s crowning achievement of landing a man on the moon. The Leon Ford Collection.
