.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Accompanied by an OMEGA Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch on 3 September 1970 and its subsequent delivery to the USA. Further accompanied by additional materials described below, including Apollo 17 mission-used strap, Fisher pen, and letters from Mrs. Ron Evans.
Consigned by its second owner, this timepiece has an extraordinary provenance. The present Speedmaster, along with the metal part it was attached to, was used by the astronaut Ron Evans on board the Apollo 17 Command Module America in a heat flow experiment. After the return home, Ron Evans took a portable hand engraving tool and engraved his Speedmaster and the black metal attachment.
An example of the present watch is accompanied with a signed letter from Jan Evans (Mrs. Ron Evans) stating: “I certify that the stainless steel OMEGA Speedmaster watch and the small black metal piece that are offered with this letter were flown to the Moon and used by my husband Ron Evans on Apollo 17, December 1972. At the conclusion of the flight Ron etched on the reverse of the watch: “FLOWN IN C.S.M. TO THE MOON” and “APOLLO 17” and his signature. On the edge of the watch he etched: “HEAT FLOW EXPR” and “6-19 DEC 1972”. Ron has also etched directly on the back metal piece that it was “...’glued to OMEGA watch’...” for the experiment. These items have been with our family since the flight.” A color photo of the OMEGA Speedmaster that is fixed on the heat experimental equipment is delivered with the present lot.
The watch is further accompanied by the Apollo 17 flown OMEGA Speedmaster watch strap from the personal collection of astronaut Ron Evans, accompanied with a signed Letter from Jan Evans (Mrs Ron Evans) stating “I certify that the watchstrap offered with this letter, marked as P/N SEB 12100030-202 and serial number 1087 was flown to the moon on board the Apollo 17 spacecraft, December 1972. This watchstrap was worn with a Speedmaster by my husband Ron Evans during his EVA on December 17 1972. It has been with our family since the flight. Note: View Ron’s EVA picture above!”
The present watch strap was used to attach Ron Evans Speedmaster to his space suit. During the trip home from the Moon, Ron Evans performed a one-hour spacewalk, the last ever in deep space, to retrieve film canisters from cameras mounted in the equipment bay at the rear of the spacecraft. An original black and white photo released by NASA on 27 December 1972 shows Ron Evans wearing the watch strap on his left arm while working outside the spacecraft. This original black and white photo is signed on the back by Ron Evans and is delivered with the present lot. A color version of this image is included as well.
Additionally, the watch is accompanied by the Apollo 17 flown Fisher AG 7 space pen from the personal collection of astronaut Ron Evans. It is marked with the NASA numbers SEB 12100051-204 and SN 1131. This pen has been specially designed by Paul C. Fisher (Fisher Pen Company) for the NASA and could be used in any position, on any surface, underwater or in condition of weightless thanks to its pressurized ink. The present one has a piece of Velcro near the top. It is accompanied with a Letter from Jan Evans (Mrs Ron Evans) stating “I certify that the silver metal Fisher pen offered with this letter, marked as serial number 1131, was flown to the Moon on board the Apollo 17 spacecraft and used by my husband Ron Evans during the flight, December 1972. This pen has been with our family since the flight. Please see attached certified copy of January 9, 1973 NASA Memorandum from FC7 Recovery Team Leader, USS Ticonderoga. Note: Ron served two tours aboard the USS Ticonderoga flying F8U aircraft. It was a special treat that the “Tico” was the recovery ship for Apollo 17.” The certified copy of January 9, 1973 NASA Memorandum is included with the present lot.
Finally the watch is accompanied by a set of 6 DVDs related to the Apollo 17 mission, from the film and television transmissions, to multi-angle coverage of launch and rare on board audio recording. On the first DVD of this set, we can see the images of Ron Evans wearing his OMEGA Speedmaster inside the space module between minute 7.30 and 8.30. This DVD set is accompanied by an original NASA Apollo 17 Guidebook from 1972 ON THE MOON WITH APOLLO 17 by Gene Simmons, Chief Scientist of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. He is the Principal Investigator of an Apollo 17 experiment to measure the surface electrical properties of the Moon.
Remarkably, the personal Ron Evans watch is the first ever Speedmaster to travel into space bearing the celebrated caliber 861. Until 1968, the Speedmaster used the caliber 321, but was then updated to the caliber 861, which beat at a higher rate of 21,600 A/h instead of the 18,000 A/h of the caliber 321.
An example of the Speedmaster reference 145022 is illustrated and described in OMEGA, A Journey Through Time by Marco Richon,
2007, p. 604.
Consigned by its second owner, this timepiece has an extraordinary provenance. The present Speedmaster, along with the metal part it was attached to, was used by the astronaut Ron Evans on board the Apollo 17 Command Module America in a heat flow experiment. After the return home, Ron Evans took a portable hand engraving tool and engraved his Speedmaster and the black metal attachment.
An example of the present watch is accompanied with a signed letter from Jan Evans (Mrs. Ron Evans) stating: “I certify that the stainless steel OMEGA Speedmaster watch and the small black metal piece that are offered with this letter were flown to the Moon and used by my husband Ron Evans on Apollo 17, December 1972. At the conclusion of the flight Ron etched on the reverse of the watch: “FLOWN IN C.S.M. TO THE MOON” and “APOLLO 17” and his signature. On the edge of the watch he etched: “HEAT FLOW EXPR” and “6-19 DEC 1972”. Ron has also etched directly on the back metal piece that it was “...’glued to OMEGA watch’...” for the experiment. These items have been with our family since the flight.” A color photo of the OMEGA Speedmaster that is fixed on the heat experimental equipment is delivered with the present lot.
The watch is further accompanied by the Apollo 17 flown OMEGA Speedmaster watch strap from the personal collection of astronaut Ron Evans, accompanied with a signed Letter from Jan Evans (Mrs Ron Evans) stating “I certify that the watchstrap offered with this letter, marked as P/N SEB 12100030-202 and serial number 1087 was flown to the moon on board the Apollo 17 spacecraft, December 1972. This watchstrap was worn with a Speedmaster by my husband Ron Evans during his EVA on December 17 1972. It has been with our family since the flight. Note: View Ron’s EVA picture above!”
The present watch strap was used to attach Ron Evans Speedmaster to his space suit. During the trip home from the Moon, Ron Evans performed a one-hour spacewalk, the last ever in deep space, to retrieve film canisters from cameras mounted in the equipment bay at the rear of the spacecraft. An original black and white photo released by NASA on 27 December 1972 shows Ron Evans wearing the watch strap on his left arm while working outside the spacecraft. This original black and white photo is signed on the back by Ron Evans and is delivered with the present lot. A color version of this image is included as well.
Additionally, the watch is accompanied by the Apollo 17 flown Fisher AG 7 space pen from the personal collection of astronaut Ron Evans. It is marked with the NASA numbers SEB 12100051-204 and SN 1131. This pen has been specially designed by Paul C. Fisher (Fisher Pen Company) for the NASA and could be used in any position, on any surface, underwater or in condition of weightless thanks to its pressurized ink. The present one has a piece of Velcro near the top. It is accompanied with a Letter from Jan Evans (Mrs Ron Evans) stating “I certify that the silver metal Fisher pen offered with this letter, marked as serial number 1131, was flown to the Moon on board the Apollo 17 spacecraft and used by my husband Ron Evans during the flight, December 1972. This pen has been with our family since the flight. Please see attached certified copy of January 9, 1973 NASA Memorandum from FC7 Recovery Team Leader, USS Ticonderoga. Note: Ron served two tours aboard the USS Ticonderoga flying F8U aircraft. It was a special treat that the “Tico” was the recovery ship for Apollo 17.” The certified copy of January 9, 1973 NASA Memorandum is included with the present lot.
Finally the watch is accompanied by a set of 6 DVDs related to the Apollo 17 mission, from the film and television transmissions, to multi-angle coverage of launch and rare on board audio recording. On the first DVD of this set, we can see the images of Ron Evans wearing his OMEGA Speedmaster inside the space module between minute 7.30 and 8.30. This DVD set is accompanied by an original NASA Apollo 17 Guidebook from 1972 ON THE MOON WITH APOLLO 17 by Gene Simmons, Chief Scientist of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. He is the Principal Investigator of an Apollo 17 experiment to measure the surface electrical properties of the Moon.
Remarkably, the personal Ron Evans watch is the first ever Speedmaster to travel into space bearing the celebrated caliber 861. Until 1968, the Speedmaster used the caliber 321, but was then updated to the caliber 861, which beat at a higher rate of 21,600 A/h instead of the 18,000 A/h of the caliber 321.
An example of the Speedmaster reference 145022 is illustrated and described in OMEGA, A Journey Through Time by Marco Richon,
2007, p. 604.