Scott Carpenter's OMEGA Speedmaster Reference 145.022-69 BA “Tribute to Astronauts”

When I first saw this watch, it took my breath away: Scott Carpenter’s gold OMEGA Speedmaster. The iconic astronaut, aquanaut, test pilot, and Naval officer. One of the Mercury Seven. An American hero. OMEGA presented this Speedmaster to Malcolm Scott Carpenter and his American astronaut colleagues in 1969 after the successful Apollo 11 mission. And, to make it even better, this watch is preserved in spectacular original and unpolished condition. Direct from a member of his family, I am honored to be able to offer Scott Carpenter’s gold OMEGA Speedmaster for sale.

In the world of vintage Speedmasters, those few gold OMEGA Speedmasters issued to American astronauts at a dinner in Houston 1969 have reached the level of iconic and grail status. These gold Speedmasters are at the intersection of important watches and the Space Race and it is no surprise that they have increased in awareness, desirability, and value significantly the last few years.

OMEGA introduced the Speedmaster in 1957, initially created for drivers in automotive racing needing to time their laps. However, the Speedmaster would reach eternal iconic status by eventually being qualified for spaceflight by NASA after an intense testing of several of the highest-grade chronographs of the 1960s. NASA selected the Speedmaster as the exclusive watch for use by its astronauts.

It is with great honor that I present this OMEGA Speedmaster reference 145.022-69 BA for sale. It is truly a remarkable watch, as it was given to American naval officer and astronaut Scott Carpenter for his role in Project Mercury on November 25, 1969, during an event at the Hotel Warwick in Houston. These ‘Tribute to Astronauts” watches were presented by OMEGA during a gala dinner to Scott Carpenter, and 25 additional astronauts (both alive and deceased), as commemorative timepieces for their voyages into space.

According to Moon Watch Universe:

“On November 25, 1969 during the Astronaut Appreciation dinner, in the Warwick Hotel in Houston Texas, twenty-three 18K gold Omega Speedmaster BA 145.022-69 watches were presented to the astronauts in attendance. Twenty-six astronauts were listed on the invitation as this group included all astronauts who had flown a spaceflight mission up to this date, including the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Among the 26 astronauts, Astronaut chief Donald Deke Slayton was the exception and the Apollo 1 astronauts (Grissom, White & Chaffee) were awarded an “Apollo 11 tribute” Speedmaster posthumously. Later another 8 astronauts received a Gold "A11 tribute" Speedmaster chronograph. Thus far, MoonwatchUniverse has spotted photos showing that at least 18 astronauts later wore their Gold Speedmaster during daily life & events.”

Carpenter famously wore a Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute prototype which we covered in May of 2022 when it was publicly announced the watch had been found. The Breitling was made with his input by Breitling and Willy Breitling and would be damaged after Carpenter’s reentry and being submerged in the ocean and has sat in the Breitling family home since returning to Switzerland. After Carpenter’s Breitling prototype, this OMEGA Speedmaster is certainly his most important timepiece and one of the most significant OMEGA watches of all time. The “Tribute to Astronauts” Speedmasters are are known amongst collectors as the ultimate grail Speedmaster. Obviously, these timepieces have an overlapping interest beyond watch collectors, as they are significant artifacts to collectors of space-related ephemera as well.

The 18K yellow-gold case is in fantastic shape and preserved in an unpolished state. The dial is fantastic and the bezel remains in great overall condition. the watch is powered by the caliber 861. Only 30 examples were produced in total. On October 20, 2022, Wally Schirra’s personal OMEGA Speedmaster Professional BA 145.022 was sold for $1,906,954. The watch comes directly from the Carpenter family.

To learn more about the OMEGA Speedmaster, you can watch my ‘Reference Points: Understanding The Entire Lineage Of The OMEGA Speedmaster’ video and read the corresponding article.

Robb Report’s watch editor, Paige Reddinger recently wrote ‘Astronaut Scott Carpenter’s Gold Omega Speedmaster Can Be Yours for $1.5 Million’. Read the full article below:

https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/scott-carpenter-omega-speedmaster-for-sale-1234809438/