Rolex or Omega? This $2.2 million luxury watch went to the Moon with Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong’s Moonwatch

A gold Omega Speedmaster once owned by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong was sold for $2,187,500, setting a new record for the highest price paid for an astronaut’s watch at auction.

Watch Presented Post-Moon Landing

The 18-karat gold chronograph was gifted to Armstrong in November 1969, four months after he became the first human to walk on the Moon. The timepiece was part of Omega’s “Tribute to Astronauts” series.

Historic Value

Armstrong’s watch is now the third most expensive space-related artefact sold at auction, surpassed only by a Soviet Vostok capsule and Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 flight jacket.

Proceeds Directed

Half of the hammer price, or $850,000, will be donated to charities supported by Armstrong, as selected by his son, Mark Armstrong. A portion will also go to the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation.

Background on Omega's Commemorative Watches

The watch is one of 26 gold Speedmasters made by Omega to honour astronauts who flew in the Gemini and Apollo missions. Armstrong received number 17. Models numbered 1 and 2 were reserved for then-President Nixon and Vice President Agnew.

NASA-Issued Watches Remain in Museum Collections

Armstrong’s NASA-issued Speedmaster, worn during Apollo 11, remains at the Smithsonian. He left it in the lunar module during the Moonwalk, making Buzz Aldrin the first to wear a watch on the lunar surface.

Strong Auction Interest

The Armstrong watch attracted 20 bids online before the live auction at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Boston. Other astronaut watches in the same auction, including one from Apollo 14’s Edgar Mitchell, fetched considerably lower sums.