Apollo Astronaut Edgar Mitchell’s Space-Flown Rolex GMT-Master Comes Up For Auction

Let’s start with some perspective: fewer than 700 human beings have ever been to space. Of them, only 24 went to the Moon. And of those 24, only 12 set foot on its rocky surface. Edgar Mitchell was number six. Most wore NASA-issued Speedmasters, which are property of the US government and will not be sold. However, some astronauts wore secondary private watches under their suits, and this Rolex GMT-Master is one of them.

This is Edgar Mitchell’s space-worn Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675, and it was most likely on his wrist when he became the sixth person to walk the surface of the Moon. RR Auction brings it to market as we speak, which is a great excuse to explore this fascinating story.

Mitchell strapping on a watch with a second one visible under his other sleeve — Image: NASA

Edgar Mitchell

Edgar Mitchell (September 17th, 1930 – February 4th, 2016) was a Texan-born US Navy officer and test pilot. Mitchell is perhaps not the most famous of the Apollo astronauts, so let me start with a quick introduction. He held a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics. Mitchell was also an instructor in advanced mathematics and navigation theory for budding astronauts. In short, if ever someone was suited to become an astronaut, it was him.

Mitchell played an active role in the infamous Apollo 13 mission. He performed trials in the simulator to help the crew in space make the right decisions. Come 1971, he got his big moment when he piloted the Lunar Module on Apollo 14.

In quarantine wearing the Rolex — Image: NASA

He spent a total of 216 hours and 42 minutes in space, 33 hours of which were on the Moon. He walked the Moon’s surface for nine hours and 23 minutes, collecting materials and installing research equipment. Mitchell and Commander Alan Shepard collected a whopping 42 kilos of material from the lunar surface.

Image: RR Auction

Edgar Mitchell’s private Rolex GMT-Master

Let’s move on to the watch. Apollo astronauts famously received Omega Speedmasters to wear on the outside of their sleeves. It is far less widely known that some wore private watches under their suits too. Edgar Mitchell, in particular, wore a Rolex GMT-Master. Stuart Roosa, the Command Module pilot on Apollo 14, also wore a personal GMT-Master. Furthermore, Mitchell likely wore another personal Rolex on his other arm during the mission. Although RR Auction officially only labels his GMT-Master as “Apollo-flown,” it seems unlikely to me that Mitchell would’ve taken his watches all the way up into space only to then take them for on his two four-and-a-half-hour moonwalks.

Image: RR Auction

As mentioned, this GMT-Master is a ref. 1675, which Rolex produced from 1959 until 1980. Its specific serial number is 2,448,767, which you can (unofficially) track back to 1970. In short, Edgar Mitchell took a brand-new watch to the Moon. The watch comes on a 1970 Oyster bracelet, which is how Edgar Mitchell wore it, as seen in several pictures from the time.

Mitchell’s private watches are said to have been intended as gifts for his daughters. The engraving in the case back of this GMT-Master 1675 corroborates this notion. It reads, “Worn by CDR. E. Mitchell on Apollo 14, 1971. To Karlin – My Daughter.” Fascinatingly, his daughter’s name is misspelled as “Karlin” rather than the correct “Karlyn.”

Edgar Mitchell with the collected lunar materials— Image: NASA

Up for auction

This watch is currently open for bidding through RR Auction. The auction house refers to it as the second Apollo-flown Rolex watch sold at auction. The previous one belonged to Apollo 15 Commander Dave Scott and brought in US$1.5 million back in 2015. RRA estimates that Mitchell’s GMT-Master will fetch upwards of US$400,000. The watch comes with a letter of authenticity and several photographs of Edgar Mitchell wearing it. The auction runs until the 25th of October, so you have plenty of time to get your bid in if you want to take a stab at it.

Edgar Mitchell strapping on his Rolex — Image: NASA

It is easy to get blinded by astronomical amounts of money. To us, however, it is just fun to see a watch like this surface and get some attention. Lesser-known stories like this offer a little insight into the lives of these legendary astronauts.

What amazes me most is the idea that every kilogram of cargo cost NASA roughly US$18,500 (corrected for inflation) to get into space back then. So, guestimating each of his Rolexes to weigh around 100 grams on their bracelets, his space souvenirs cost NASA the equivalent of an extra US$3,700. I can only imagine Mitchell wasn’t all too pleased about that spelling error after all this effort!

A big thank you to Phillip from Moon Watch Universe for contributing some of the NASA images.

What do you think of this special space-traveling GMT-Master? Let us know in the comments below!