A Space-Flown Omega Speedmaster And Glove Up For Auction On December 3rd
Now here is something special! A space-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.50 and the EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) glove it was worn over in space will be up for auction on December 3rd at Koller Auctions in Zurich, Switzerland.
Cosmonaut Padalka’s space-flown Omega Speedmaster and EVA glove
This watch was on the wrist of cosmonaut Gennady Padalka (born 1958) during the International Space Station Expedition missions 43 and 44 in 2015. He spent over 168 days in space with this watch. He also wore this Orlan EVA glove and Omega Speedmaster Professional for over 5.5 hours outside the ISS during his spacewalk in August 2015.
The Orlan glove is designed for cosmonauts embarking on extravehicular activities (EVAs), aka spacewalks. It is not a mere accessory, though. Rather, it’s a second skin to help astronauts maintain dexterity while navigating the harsh realities of space. Its multilayer construction ensures protection against everything from micrometeorites to extreme temperature shifts. These gloves give cosmonauts just enough flexibility to perform intricate tasks, like reconnecting cables or repairing sensitive equipment, without losing an ounce of pressure or safety. Functionality aside, the Orlan EVA glove is also about comfort. Due to conditions in which a slight pressure loss could be catastrophic, every inch of the glove is specially engineered to ensure that cosmonauts stay safe. The fit is snug, and the material is tough.
Padalka and his watch during the mission
Cosmonaut Padalka held the previous record for the most cumulative days spent in space, totaling 878 days across five missions. It was only beaten by Oleg Kononenko earlier this year. He set a new record as of February 4th, 2024, with 1,111 days in space. Padalka retired from the Roscomos organization in 2017.
Lot 4048 is quite a package!
Whereas you usually only win a watch and a certificate or letter, the Koller auction house managed to get the full package here. This doesn’t just consist of a watch and a letter of authenticity or proof. No, there’s more — much more! The highest bidder on Lot 4048 will receive the Omega Speedmaster Professional on the strap that Padalka wore it on, the EVA glove, and the following items:
- A signed photo by Gennady Padalka
- Original Omega documents proving the watch came directly from the brand’s headquarters in Biel, Switzerland
- A handwritten certificate of authenticity by Gennady Padalka
- An additional typed and signed document detailing the mission on which Padalka wore the watch
- An extra metal bracelet for the watch
- The video of the spacewalk on a memory stick
It’s a very complete package for space fans. The provenance comes directly from Padalka as well.
Space-flown Speedmaster Professional 3570.50
The Speedmaster Professional ref. 3570.50 (produced from 1996 to 2014) has the hand-wound caliber 1861 and a Hesalite (acrylic) crystal. A long strap with special endpieces also comes with this watch. This strap allowed Padalka to wear the watch over the EVA glove. Additionally, the glove is signed with the Expedition 43/44 name and Padalka’s signature. Imagine how cool this would look in your living room!
The estimate for this space-flown combination of a Speedmaster and glove is CHF 120,000–180,000 (roughly €123,710–185,570).
For this auction, Koller Wunderkammer in Zurich invited NASA astronaut Charlie Duke (Apollo 16 and CAPCOM for Apollo 11) and Roy Davidoff, a Speedmaster dealer and enthusiast from Geneva, to discuss this space-flown Speedmaster. You can watch the video of this discussion below.
You can see the listing for the watch here. Do you think it will surpass its estimate? Let us know in the comments!
