David Scott’s Speedmaster Professional “Tribute to Astronauts” BA145.022-69
The Omega Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69, also known as the “Tribute to Astronauts” watch, was the first Speedmaster in 18K yellow gold and intended for all active NASA astronauts, the US president and vice president, and several officials. In total, Omega gifted 31 of these watches to the NASA astronauts, most of them during the official banquet on November 25th, 1969, at the Warwick Hotel in Houston.
Warwick Houston, where the astronauts’ dinner took place
Tribute to Astronauts
This watch needs no further introduction as we’ve covered it numerous times on Fratello. If you’re not familiar with it or want to refresh your memory a bit, make sure to read our ultimate guide to the 1969 Speedmaster BA145.022.
Wally Schirra’s Speedmaster BA145.022-69, which sold for US$1.9 million
In short, it’s an 18K gold version of the famous Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch ref. 145.022. It was also the first Speedmaster to use the Lemania-based caliber 861. The dial is solid 18K gold with onyx hour markers. The gold bracelet (ref. 1116/575) has a dramatic taper from 20mm at the end links to 14mm at the clasp. This model was also available for the regular market. However, those examples had a different engraving on the case back. All of the gifted watches bore engravings personalized for the astronauts or other officials. As you can see, the aluminum bezel insert is burgundy.
A complete set of the Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69 for the regular market
No FOMO in the 1960s and 1970s
I have a soft spot for the gold Speedmaster Professional, and I can even easily call it my grail watch. In fact, I am wearing my gold Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 50th Anniversary as I write this article. This commemorative edition came out in 2019 as part of a 1,014-piece limited run. That’s the number of units that Omega made of the original 1969 model. In contrast to today (or 2019), the gold Speedmaster BA145.022-69 was in the Omega catalog for several years. Apparently, there was little FOMO in those days. To own one of the original gold Moonwatch models once owned by one of the NASA astronauts must be very special. I feel lucky that at least I handled several original examples. Some of them are in the Omega museum, while others belong to friends and fellow Speedmaster enthusiasts.
Image: RR Auction
David Scott’s gold Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69
Each of these watches had a unique number, and N° 16 went to NASA astronaut David (Dave) Scott. He was part of the Gemini 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 15 missions, the last of which was the one in which he set foot on the Moon. Scott, now 92, was active at NASA from 1963 to 1977. We did an interview with him about his watches many years ago via our friend Larry McGlynn. You can read it here.
The Speedmaster “Tribute to Astronauts” on Dave Scott’s wrist
Accompanying David Scott’s gold Speedmaster is a watch he wrote, indicating that he received the watch during the evening of November 25th, 1969, at the Warwick Hotel. The watch was presented to him and 18 other astronauts that evening. In total, Omega made 26 watches for NASA astronauts at that time as well as for astronauts who had passed away. The additional Speedmaster Professional BA145.022-69 “Tribute to Astronauts” was handed out later and has a later serial number (>1000).
Scott writes in his letter that Omega presented the watches to the astronauts during the gala dinner. Because there were also Apollo missions after November 25th, Omega offered to engrave the later mission names upon the astronauts’ request. Thus, after the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, Omega asked for David Scott’s gold Speedmaster and added the Apollo 15 mission name to the case back. According to Scott, he wore this watch in public on several occasions and at events.
Image: RR Auction
It did not sell
Recently, RR Auction hosted a specialized space auction that included many space-worn or space-related watches. David Scott’s 18K gold Speedmaster “Tribute to Astronauts” was also part of this auction on October 24th. The estimate was set to US$200,000, which, if you ask me, is not an unrealistic assumption for a watch from an Apollo astronaut. For some reason, though, David Scrott’s gold Speedmaster BA145.022-69 did not sell.
David Scott during a post-mission press conference, wearing his gold Speedmaster — Image: NASA via Moon Watch Universe
One of the previous gold Moonwatches, once owned by Wally Schirra, fetched nearly US$2 million two years ago. That one came with a letter from his wife Jo Schirra, who initially sold the watch to our friend Larry McGlynn.
Image: RR Auction
BA145.022-69 fatigue?
Although the watch market is slowing down, you would think there’s always a customer for watches like this Apollo-astronaut-owned gold Speedmaster. Two things come to mind, though. One is that we’ve seen quite a few of these appear on the market in recent years. There was the Schirra one, as mentioned before, and the gold Speedmasters owned by Apollo 13 astronaut Swigert (which fetched $152K) and Apollo 12 astronaut Gordon ($138K). Gemini 3 astronaut Gus Grissom’s gold Moonwatch raked in $375K in 2023, while Apollo 12’s Alan Bean’s gold Speedmaster went for $302.5K, and Apollo 17 astronaut Ron Evans’s went for a little less ($297K) during the same auction. So there might be a bit of fatigue for the gold Speedmaster “Tribute to Astronauts.”
The other thing is that Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell’s Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 might have overshadowed the gold Speedmaster. The Rolex was worn in space, which adds value to owning such a watch. It was part of the same auction and fetched a whopping US$2.1 million.
The good news is that collectors of space memorabilia and Speedmasters might get another chance to own the gold Speedmaster Professional that once belonged to Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott. We’ll just have to wait and see.
