Pre-Lot Text
Lots 20 and 22 are from Omega's celebrated "Speedmaster" series launched in 1965, the only wristwatch to have withstood all of the U.S. space agency's severe tests under conditions of zero gravity and magnetic fields, extreme shocks, vibrations and temperatures ranging from -18 to +93 degrees Celsius and consequently "flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions". In the same year, the watch was for the first time worn officially on board the Gemini 3 mission.
The greatest moment in the Speedmaster's history was undoubtedly 21 July 1969 at 02:56 GMT, when it recorded man's first steps on the Moon's surface. The Apollo 11 mission was a milestone in history and the Speedmaster became the first watch (and the only watch since) to be worn on the Moon. With this unique accomplishment came a unique nickname: the "Moon Watch".