Lot 37

MIR SPACE STATIONThe Cold War space race rivalry between the United States and Soviet Union had been ongoing from the mid-20th century. Both sides made pioneering efforts which resulted in incredibly significant improvements and enhancements to our age of space exploration. In 1986, it was the Soviet Union that built the robust Mir space station. As a base of operations for crews in space, it was built with a life expectancy of five years and with the purpose of serving as an international research module.In 1991, Mir surpassed its life expectancy and lasted an additional 10 years before it was removed from orbit in 2001 by the Russian government due to age. The name refers to a place or village of communal ownership where local people lived and shared resources, reminiscent of life on a space station.Mir was located approximately 250 miles above the Earth and moved at an average speed of 17,885 miles per hour. Modules comprising the structure were often placed at right angles to each other and new modules were over time. Cosmonauts broke records for the longevity of spaceflights with crews spending up to and over an entire year there on a single mission. An example of Mir’s function was made when in 1995 Russian physician Valeri Polyakov lived aboard Mir for a continuous stay of 437 days, 17 hours, and 38 minutes. As Deputy Director of the Institute of Biomedical Problems, his experiences contributed greatly to the study of the effects of long-term human spaceflight. Many spacecraft docked at space station Mir, including Soyuz-TM, a Russian manned spacecraft that had completed 34 launches from 1986 to 2002. The spacecraft was used extensively to transport crews to and from the Mir station as well as the International Space Station (ISS). One of the experiments that was conducted on Mir was in July 1993. This special experiment allowed for 35 Omega Speedmaster Professionals to be taken to the Mir space station for a full year with the purpose of establishing and monitoring the effects of the microgravity on watch movements. Subject to an assessment spanning 365 days, the OMEGA Speedmaster had become the most tested watch in the world. With such great progress, Russia's pioneering space station Mir was again used as an orbiting test laboratory in 1998 for OMEGA's X-33 multifunction chronograph.When the 35 examples that had been tested on Mir returned to Earth, OMEGA examined them and they were said to have been in perfect working order before they underwent a light service and OMEGA sold them to the general public with an engraved case back noting the triumph.

Omega. An Exceptionally Rare and Highly Attractive Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch which Stayed Aboard Space Station MIR for One Year, with Certificate and Box

Signed Omega, Speedmaster, Professional, MIR 365 Days, No. 9/28, Movement No. 48’294’659, Case Ref. 1450022-3450022, Manufactured in 1995

Details

Omega. An Exceptionally Rare and Highly Attractive Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch which Stayed Aboard Space Station MIR for One Year, with Certificate and Box
Signed Omega, Speedmaster, Professional, MIR 365 Days, No. 9/28, Movement No. 48’294’659, Case Ref. 1450022-3450022, Manufactured in 1995
Cal. 861 mechanical movement, 17 jewels, metal dust cap, black dial, luminous baton numerals, outer fifths of a second divisions, luminous baton hands, three sunken engine-turned subsidiary dials for constant seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours registers, tonneau-shaped water-resistant-type case, black bezel with tachymeter scale calibrated for 500 units, fluted lugs, screw back with commemorative engraving THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON – 9 /28 – 365 DAYS ON BOARD SPACE STATION MIR – JULY 1993 – JULY 1994 and seahorse logo with SPEEDMASTER and O in high-relief, OMEGA crown, two round chronograph buttons in the band, stainless steel OMEGA bracelet stamped 1499/842, deployant clasp, overall approximate length 7 inches, case, dial and movement signed
42mm diam.

Provenance

From the Private Collection of Riccardo Bernard

Lot Essay

Accompanied by an OMEGA Extract from the Archives confirming delivery of the present watch in 1995 to Italy. Further accompanied by an OMEGA Certificate and Omega fitted presentation box all included in an Omega metal suitcase with The Moon Watch book in Italian and an OMEGA Special Mir video tape.

The present watch is one the very rare examples of the Speedmaster having spent a full year in space during the 1990s. On the 1st of July 1993, 35 OMEGA Speedmaster Professional (28 watches in stainless steel, 7 watches in yellow gold) were transported by the Soyuz-TM launch rocket to Space Station Mir. There they underwent the most severe tests in the extreme conditions of space before returning to earth in July 1994. The present watch is the number 9 in a limited edition of 28 examples and is preserved in very good overall condition.

The present watch is illustrated and described in OMEGA, A Journey Through Time by Marco Richon, 2007, p. 624.

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