I had the opportunity to buy an Omega Speedmaster Professional with the box signed by Charles Duke, Apollo 16 pilot and authenticated by JSA. Does anyone know how to put a price tag on this? I was told to get insurance on the watch because of how rare it is. Any suggestions are appreciated.
If it's this, then 6k is resonable. The watch looks like an 1861 non-limited Speedmaster without a bracelet. The watch is 4500 and the signature 1500. Charlie Duke is an active signer so while it's great to have a moonwalker sign a watch box, his is not as valuable as others who signed less often. Also, watch related items have a premium, but not as much as flown items, or even possibly official NASA lithographs of astronauts in white space suits or of them on the moon. Over time, the piece should grow in value, as space memorabilia seems to be holding up, and it has cross over into watches. IMHO, I think 6k was not a low price. Perhaps for insurance 7500 tops. But i am not a professional appraiser and did not spend much time looking for comps. I do collect astronaut autographs and space memorabilia though, so do follow the market. But, i also know the market can do strange things, depending on how much someone wants something. If this had been Duke's own watch or flown in space, it'd probably be triple the value. I should add congratulations on the buy, as it is an interesting piece and a great watch.