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Apollo 14 Flown Rolex GMT From the Collection of Edgar Mitchell...What a stunner!!

TLIGuy
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You don't see something like this one very often. What a stunner!!

Courtesy RR Auction

"Edgar Mitchell's flown Rolex GMT-Master chronometer watch (Reference #1675) worn on the Apollo 14 mission, serial no. 2448767, as seen in film footage of Mitchell suiting up prior to flight and in onboard footage taken inside the Command Module. The caseback is engraved, "Worn by Cdr. E. Mitchell on Apollo 14, 1971, To Karlin—My Daughter." It features a 26-jewel Oyster Perpetual Movement, black dial, blue-and-red bezel with 24-hour scale (nicknamed the 'Pepsi' color scheme), date indicator with famous Rolex 'Cyclops' magnifying bubble in the acrylic crystal, and Rolex Steelinox bracelet with fliplock clasp."

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TLIGuy
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This great Bulova is also up for auction.

Courtesy RR Auction

"Presented by Bulova chairman Gen. Omar Bradley to Apollo 14 LMP Edgar Mitchell—a custom-made Accutron Astronaut Mark I watch​

Apollo 14 LMP Edgar Mitchell's custom-made and engraved Bulova Accutron Astronaut Mark I watch, with "Houston" in orange on the world timer dial, serial no. 138492, engraved on the caseback, "Captain Edgar Mitchell, Congratulations, Bulova Watch Co., Inc., 1971." The standard-issue Astronaut Mark I had a black 'Chicago' on the dial to indicate the central time zone, while this custom example has a bright orange "Houston" in its place. The watch is on a stainless steel bracelet. In fine cosmetic condition, with minor wear from use; the watch's function is untested.

Mitchell's family reports that this was presented to him by Gen. Omar Bradley, who served as Bulova's Chairman of the Board from 1958 to 1973. Under Bradley's oversight, Bulova became a key manufacturer of critical timing instruments for military and aerospace applications, including watches worn on Project Mercury flights, clocks used in spacecraft, and timers used in lunar experiment apparatus. Bradley evidently had a custom dial fabricated for this special presentation to one of America's moonwalkers, highlighting Houston—home to NASA's Mission Control Center—as a significant place. Interestingly, Mitchell got started as a naval aviator in 1953, just as Bradley was wrapping up his tenure as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the Korean War having come to a close. The two men clearly shared a mutual admiration and respect—in a 2008 interview, Mitchell mentioned carrying Bradley's five-star collar insignia from World War II to the moon on Apollo 14. A highly desirable, historic timepiece with a storied past."

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Evitzee
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That Rolex is spectacular, the Accutron a nice slice of Apollo history.
 
M
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Both are amazing pièces of history. Almost placed a bid for the Rolex. Started the registration process then stopped for mainly 2 reasons: 1/ no idea who is behind this auction website, 2/ this item is not going to be cheap and once you add the auction company fees plus import taxes that could turn out to be very very expensive . But then it is a part of history.
 
pdxleaf
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M Mam
Both are amazing pièces of history. Almost placed a bid for the Rolex. Started the registration process then stopped for mainly 2 reasons: 1/ no idea who is behind this auction website, 2/ this item is not going to be cheap and once you add the auction company fees plus import taxes that could turn out to be very very expensive . But then it is a part of history.
This is a legitimate auction site. Besides Heritage auctions, it is one of the premier auction sites for space collectibles. Many astronauts and their families choose to sell their collections with RRAuction.

The watch won't be cheap, but it'll be as advertised and delivered to the final bidder. I have sold and purchased on rrauction.com, as well as had lengthy phone and email conversations with the site owner. They are upstanding and worthy of confidence.
 
Evitzee
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M Mam
Both are amazing pièces of history. Almost placed a bid for the Rolex. Started the registration process then stopped for mainly 2 reasons: 1/ no idea who is behind this auction website, 2/ this item is not going to be cheap and once you add the auction company fees plus import taxes that could turn out to be very very expensive . But then it is a part of history.
Unless you have at least $500,000 to toss around this is not the watch for you.
 
M
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
This is a legitimate auction site. Besides Heritage auctions, it is one of the premier auction sites for space collectibles. Many astronauts and their families choose to sell their collections with RRAuction.

The watch won't be cheap, but it'll be as advertised and delivered to the final bidder. I have sold and purchased on rrauction.com, as well as had lengthy phone and email conversations with the site owner. They are upstanding and worthy of confidence.
Dear sir,

Thank you for your explanations.

Best regards
 
M
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Evitzee Evitzee
Unless you have at least $500,000 to toss around this is not the watch for you.
That is exactly what prevented me from finalizing my registration.
 
TLIGuy
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Here is, what I think, is a funny anecdote from a phone conversation I had with Ed Mitchell about the watches he wore during Apollo 14.

This is from an old article about my research into space flown watches.

"There was a discussion one day on one of the forums where someone was asking if astronauts needed to be reminded to wind their Speedmasters daily. At the time I was beginning the preparation process with Ed Mitchell and was also engaged in an email conversation with another astronaut, I decided to pose the question to them both and see if I could get an answer to share. I sent off an email to the astronaut asking “Do you recall getting a reminder from mission control or a specific checklist item reminding you to wind your watches daily?” His reply was “We were all pretty bright guys back then and we were smart enough to remember to wind our watches. It’s like shaving, you just do it every day.”

In a brief phone conversation with Dr. Mitchell I got an answer I wasn’t expecting at all. When I asked him the same question about winding the watch there was a brief pause, and then he said: “I never worried about winding my watch, I wore a Rolex.” 🤣
 
ibis888
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Spectacular watch. Although a little sad that it was given to his daughter and now up for auction.
 
pdxleaf
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There's some eye-watering amazing pieces in this auction!
 
Dan S
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
There's some eye-watering amazing pieces in this auction!
Including one of those commemorative gold Speedmasters, and this one was definitely worn.
 
Evitzee
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ibis888 ibis888
Spectacular watch. Although a little sad that it was given to his daughter and now up for auction.
She probably has little real affinity for it and there is a substantial amount of money in the watch. She either keeps it in a SD box at the bank as a memento or liquidates it for cash, pays the capital gains tax on it (up to 28%) and deploys the cash to benefit her or her family. Can't blame her. Her dad's been dead for eight years, probably figures it is time to move on.

All expensive property eventually gets sold. The Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication was eventually inherited by Graves' daughter, who gave it to her son, who sold it to Seth Atwood for about $200,000, was eventually auctioned by Sotheby's where it bounced around in the Middle East for a few years, then finally acquired by Patek Philippe for $24 million for their museum.
Edited:
 
pdxleaf
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I have strict instructions for my daughters to sell my watch collection when it hits $400k.
 
SpeedyPhill
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Lots of Apollo 14 Ed Mitchell pre-launch suit-up photographs & video showing the extra Rolex watches; one for each of his daughters !
(Photo: NASA)
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Apollo14 - ROLEX.jpg
 
SpeedyPhill
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Besides some excellent Apollo 14 onboard footage, there're also a few amazing color photos showing the Rolex GMT-master during quarantaine!
 
Watch my Whisky
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
You don't see something like this one very often. What a stunner!!

Courtesy RR Auction

"Edgar Mitchell's flown Rolex GMT-Master chronometer watch (Reference #1675) worn on the Apollo 14 mission, serial no. 2448767, as seen in film footage of Mitchell suiting up prior to flight and in onboard footage taken inside the Command Module. The caseback is engraved, "Worn by Cdr. E. Mitchell on Apollo 14, 1971, To Karlin—My Daughter." It features a 26-jewel Oyster Perpetual Movement, black dial, blue-and-red bezel with 24-hour scale (nicknamed the 'Pepsi' color scheme), date indicator with famous Rolex 'Cyclops' magnifying bubble in the acrylic crystal, and Rolex Steelinox bracelet with fliplock clasp."

Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 4.05.37 PM.jpeg

Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 4.05.49 PM.jpeg Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 4.06.00 PM.jpeg Screenshot 2024-09-26 at 4.06.06 PM.jpeg
These are excellent space watches.
 
SpeedyPhill
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@Watch my Whisky
The Rolex GMT-master pilot watch has been worn on the hypersonic X-15 research rocket aircraft, the Apollo capsule (even on the lunar surface) and several space shuttle orbiters. Remember NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao who always wore his personal Rolex GMT-master, on 3 different shuttle orbiters Columbia, Discovery & Endeavour, and even on a Soyuz launch to the ISS in 2004! His Rolex GMT-master was space-flown for 229 days !
Article by Moonwatchuniverse for "100 years Rolex"
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ROLEX Moonwatchuniverse.jpg
 
SpeedyPhill
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Remember most Gemini-Apollo era NASA astronauts owned a personal Rolex GMT-master Pepsi bezel pilot watch... I have photos of:
Aldrin, Borman, Cernan, Cunningham, Evans, Glenn, Lovell, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard, Schirra, Swigert, Worden, etc...
 
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