For those on the dark side of the moon when it comes to perfect fake Omega Speedmaster collecting, Heritage Auctions is offering something that is both exceedingly collectible, undeniably cool, and incredibly rare – a solid gold commemorative cheap replica Omega Speedmaster given to Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins.
You remember Apollo 11, right? It was kind of a big deal. On July 20th, 1969, man first set foot on the moon. Swiss made fake Omega UK marked the achievement with a special run of solid gold Speedmasters. Of the 1014 examples made, the first thirty of the Omega Apollo XI Speedmasters (reference BA145.022) were offered as gifts to those who made the moon landing possible.
Though President Nixon and VP Agnew did not accept the first two in the series, the next 28 were given to NASA astronauts based on their tenure with the administration. Command Module Pilot Michael Collins received #19 and lot 54101 includes not only the watch but also a letter from Collins reading:
The caseback is also personalized to commemorate Collins’ involvement with Gemini 10 and Apollo 11, and the watch comes on its original gold bracelet. All told, the lot, with 14 days left to bid, is currently at $105,000 (at the time of posting). Seeing as special 1:1 replica Omega Speedmasters have been routinely setting new auction records in recent years, we have no idea just how high this will go, but it’s definitely one very precious example that marks the moment when the Omega Speedmaster fake for sale became the Moonwatch.
Many years ago at an high quality fake Omega event with NASA in Houston, I got a chance to experience an original BA145.022 that was owned by, perhaps unsurprisingly, Robert-Jan Broer of Fratello Watches. It immediately became my favorite super clone Omega Speedmaster UK (here it is, with the modern anniversary re-issue) as it’s drop-dead gorgeous, has amazing provenance, and is essentially a watch that functions as a yellow-gold trophy for going to the dang moon. I also happen to have a real soft spot for black dial furniture and yellow gold.
While #1 and #2 are now part of Swiss movement replica Omega‘s museum collection, for my money, I think one given to an astronaut like Michael Collins is all the more cool, especially to both Speedy nerds and those with a passion for past lunar exploration. If you want to flex hard at space camp this summer, hit the link below to check out the lot listing.