Neil Armstrong’s gold Omega Speedmaster has already sold: RR Auction reports that lot 7000 brought $2,125,000 including buyer’s premium on April 17, 2025. It was Armstrong’s 1969 commemorative presentation watch—not the steel Speedmaster associated with his Apollo 11 lunar walk.
What was the auction result?
RR Auction sold the watch at a live auction at the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 17, 2025. The auction house listed an estimate of $2 million or more and reported a final total of $2,125,000 including buyer’s premium. RR Auction’s lot listing and its post-sale announcement identify the same premium-inclusive result.
That figure is not the hammer price, which is the winning bid before the buyer’s premium. RR Auction said half of the hammer price would go to charities selected by Mark Armstrong, Neil’s son. The consignor separately pledged a portion of proceeds to the Wisconsin-based Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation. The auction house did not state the precise hammer price or final donation amounts.
Which Speedmaster did Armstrong sell?
The lot was an 18K yellow-gold Omega Speedmaster Professional, reference BA 145.022, numbered 17. RR Auction says Armstrong received it at a special dinner at Houston’s Hotel Warwick on November 25, 1969. The commemorative caseback names “Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Gemini 8 – Apollo 11” and carries the inscription “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.”
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This was not the watch Armstrong wore during the Apollo 11 lunar EVA. The gold watch was a presentation piece; the lunar-worn watch was steel. Fratello reports that the steel Speedmaster is displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Fratello’s coverage discusses the distinction between the two watches.
What were the watch’s specifications and condition?
According to RR Auction’s catalog, the watch has a 42 mm 18K gold case, solid gold dial, burgundy-red bezel inlay, gold bracelet and Lemania-based caliber 861 chronograph movement. The auction catalog characterized its cosmetic condition as very good, noting bezel scuffs and caseback scratches, and said it did not appear polished or modified. These are the auction house’s descriptions, not an independent inspection.
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- Stainless steel case
- Black dial
- Swiss-automatic movement
- Case diameter: 40mm
- Water resistant to 330 feet
The lot included an Omega “Extract from the Archives.” RR Auction says the extract identifies it as a “Special numbered edition to celebrate the ‘Apollo XI’ moon landing.” That supports its identity as a commemorative edition; it does not establish that this gold watch traveled to the Moon.
Why was the Speedmaster gold?
It was made as a commemorative presentation watch for the Apollo 11 achievement, rather than as the steel Speedmaster used during the lunar mission. RR Auction’s catalog says Omega initially made 26 gold commemorative watches for NASA astronauts, living and deceased. That production figure is the auction catalog’s account; the sources cited here do not establish the full distribution history of the series.
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RR Auction quoted Mark Armstrong as saying, “This watch, which my father liked to wear on special occasions, symbolizes one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of mankind.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who bought it?
RR Auction said the winning buyer was a private collector who requested anonymity. The auction house has not disclosed the buyer’s identity, and the sources cited here do not establish the watch’s current ownership beyond that reported sale.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Rubber
- Rotating bezel, gmt
- Automatic-self-wind movement
- Case diameter: 40mm
- Water resistant to 330 feet
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