NEW YORK, NY.- In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Omega watch landing on the moon in July 1969, Sotheby's will hold a dedicated auction of Omega Speedmaster watches this summer in New York.

The 19 July 2019 auction Omega Speedmaster: To the Moon and Back will celebrate one of the most iconic sports watches ever to come to market, which was a leading choice of astronauts for more than five decades.

All of the “Moonwatches” on offer – which will have the additional distinction of being vetted by Omega themselves – will be open for public exhibition in Sotheby’s New York galleries beginning 15 July, alongside Sotheby’s Space Exploration auction.

Before sending any objects into space, NASA performs extensive testing to ensure that anything aboard a space flight will withstand the rigors of unpredictable environments. In 1965, NASA sought to find a watch properly provisioned for human spaceflight. Three watches were chosen to undergo months of testing. Omega is the only brand whose watch passed all ten tests, rendering the Speedmaster model as the official watch of NASA.

The iconic watch has been bestowed upon the wrists of astronauts ever since – including all six lunar landings – and has fittingly been dubbed the “Moonwatch”. For decades, the Speedmaster has signified the kind of quality and reliability that has made it the only designated timepiece fit to wear on the moon.

Highlights of the July auction include two Reference 2915-1s – the first Speedmaster model ever created. The dial configuration, the tachometer scale engraved into the metal bezel, the renowned caliber 321, the lack of crown guards, the applied Omega logo, and the large “broad arrow” hour hands are all distinguishing traits that differentiate this Speedmaster from its successors.

The sale also offers an “Alaska III” Speedmaster, made for NASA’s Space Shuttle program in 1978. The project was made to incorporate an anti-reflective crystal and easily legible dial. The black dial is specific to this watch, featuring luminous tritium, and radial counters.

This dedicated Omega sale is an incredible way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event that defined a generation, while paying homage to the watch that helped NASA accomplish missions for over half a century.