Adolf Brandle's BA145.022-69 for sale

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incabloc

·Oct 16, 2019

Just found it on CH24 and wondering who knows more about Adolf Brandle, as I was not able to found anything about him. Was he part of the NASA team or maybe an Omega employee? It will be available on the next Ineichen auction on the 16th of November.

 

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Cad290

·Oct 16, 2019

Or could have been a Lemania employee. I found an Adolf Brandle that was a banker at UBS at the time, don’t know if they were involved with Omega or Lemania at the time.

 

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vienna

·Oct 16, 2019

Interesting fact about the engraving,

kind regards Max

https://www.spaceartifactsarchive.com/2014/01/the-watches-of-apollo.html

 

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JanV

·Oct 16, 2019

vienna

Interesting fact about the engraving,

kind regards Max

https://www.spaceartifactsarchive.com/2014/01/the-watches-of-apollo.html

Do you also notice that the caseback grain is circular on the OP watch and straight on the Walter Schirra version?

 

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Cad290

·Oct 16, 2019

the serial number is very early but the O in Omega is round not oval. Confusing.

 

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incabloc

·Nov 17, 2019

Sold for 34k CHF....

 

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Cad290

·Nov 17, 2019

incabloc

Sold for 34k CHF....

Plus hammer fees, but still seems like a good price. Could be a great price if someone figures out who Adolf Brandle was/is

 

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omegaman

·Nov 17, 2019

According to an article from International Wristwatch, written bei C. Bradley Jacobs, the watches with that special "to mark man's..." engraving were distributed as follows:

1: POTUS
2: VPOTUS
3-28: Astronauts
28: Rene Meyan (Director of Lemania)
29: John M. Updegraph
...
746: Rene K. Ruepp
...
1001-1008: Astronauts
1009-1014: unknown???

So far three other special engraved watches were known that went to some kind of (more or less forgotten) VIP. Here we have another one. But the million dollar question is why Adolf Brandle's watch is not numbered like all the others? Maybe the last batch, 1009-1014 carried also that special engraving but no number? I have never seen a public version with a number higher than 9xx. A shame that the seller did not ask for an Extract From The Archives. Would might have helped to solve that mystery.

Edited: Nov 17, 2019

 

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BlackTalon

·Nov 17, 2019·This Space for Rent

omegaman

A shame that the seller did not ask for an Extract From The Archives. Would might have helped to solve that mystery.

Maybe there is a reason? Or maybe he actually did, and it had questionable results?

(yeah, I am an eternal skeptic)

 

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Cad290

·Nov 17, 2019

If I remember correctly the watch has a very early serial as well, so I would be surprised if it was one of the 1009-1014 batch, but the serials don’t always line up great with the limited edition numbers

 

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omegaman

·Nov 17, 2019

According to the S/N, I've just checked those from all BA145.022-69 I have stored on my hard drive. Including my own watch, most have 284x.xxxx, only a couple have lower numbers. So it is rather a watch from the 1st batch. Like JanV said, the circular pattern at the caseback, is rather unusual... maybe the issue number, what was engraved very thin, had been skimmed away unintentionally during a service?

 

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incabloc

·Feb 20, 2020

and back on the market....with a certificate of authenticity

https://www.chrono24.ch/omega/omega-speedmaster-professional-apollo-xi-1969--id11703248.htm

 

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Foo2rama

·Feb 20, 2020·Nowhere near as grumpy as he used to be...

incabloc

and back on the market....with a certificate of authenticity

https://www.chrono24.ch/omega/omega-speedmaster-professional-apollo-xi-1969--id11703248.htm

Well that’s fascinating as that is not an extract...

 

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Andy K

·Feb 20, 2020

Foo2rama

Well that’s fascinating as that is not an extract...

Was just about to make the same comment. Is this something they do now - a COA?

 

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kov

·Feb 20, 2020

Foo2rama

Well that’s fascinating as that is not an extract...

Yes, that's the other (luxury) version where all the watch parts get under scrutiny.

 

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SpeedyPhill

·Feb 20, 2020

Just curious to know if there's a complete listing of these Gold Apollo tribute Speedmasters ? For instance which number was given to German rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, who in 1970 moved to NASA headquarters in Washington DC...

 

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eugeneandresson

·Feb 20, 2020

"At some point the movement originally fitted to the watch has been exchanged for a version that predates the moon landing"

😕

Does this imply the current movement is not the original movement that came with the watch upon delivery from factory to AD?

 

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kov

·Feb 20, 2020

eugeneandresson

Does this imply the current movement is not the original movement that came with the watch upon delivery from factory to AD?

That's what I understand, too. Btw does it mean that the serial number has changed with the movement? 😗

 

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eugeneandresson

·Feb 20, 2020

Well...it was before the days of printing it behind the lug 😉

so they know what movement SN was installed on the watch with caseback number N...

 

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Evitzee

·Feb 20, 2020

A Certificate of Authenticity is given when the watch is physically inspected by Omega in Switzerland. An extract is given based on serial numbers provided, no inspection required. A CoA > EoA.