Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back | Celebrating 50 years since Apollo 11

Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back | Celebrating 50 years since Apollo 11

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 18. OMEGA | SPEEDMASTER ST 186.004 'ALASKA IV PROTOTYPE NO. 1/12', A LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS STEEL QUARTZ DIGITAL SPLIT CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH, MADE IN 1978.

OMEGA | SPEEDMASTER ST 186.004 'ALASKA IV PROTOTYPE NO. 1/12', A LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS STEEL QUARTZ DIGITAL SPLIT CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH, MADE IN 1978

Auction Closed

July 19, 08:01 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

OMEGA

SPEEDMASTER ST 186.004 'ALASKA IV PROTOTYPE NO. 1/12'

A LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS STEEL QUARTZ DIGITAL SPLIT CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH, MADE IN 1978


Dial: black digital

Caliber: quartz movement

Case: stainless steel 

Closure: stainless steel associate buckle

Dimensions: 36 mm diameter

Signed: case and dial

Accessories: Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives confirming date of manufacture on April 3, 1978 and subsequent delivery to NASA.

The present lot is a limited edition Alaska IV Prototype, and is number 1 out of 12 pieces.

In 1979, NASA astronauts received a special batch of the reference 186.004, a prototype version of the 186.0004. These digital Speedmasters were for the Omega Alaska project, the company’s testing ground for watches. These prototypes differ from production versions in several aspects: a thicker case to fit a tritium tube lighting system for the dial, the word ‘Light’ on the dial is absent, and identical numbering of 1621 to the inside case back.


Of these prototypes, 12 are recognised as being sent to NASA with individually hand engraved to the back with numbers. The present lot is number 1 of this issue, and provides an exciting opportunity to obtain an important example of a watch which bridges horological technology with advances in space travel.