BOSTON, MASS.- Alan Shepard's Apollo 14 Vacheron Constantin Watch will be auctioned by Boston-based RR Auction.

The sensational gold Vacheron Constantin Ref. 6351 wristwatch presented to Astronaut Alan Shepard after his successful lunar-landing Apollo 14 mission. Manufactured in 1971, the elegant watch has a 32 mm face and 7.75″ long band, and prominently displays the hand-painted enameled dial with Apollo 14 mission insignia.

The case features an 18k gold, coin-edge bezel, downturned lugs, and an engraved snap on back, reading: “5.2.71, Presence Americaine Sur La Lune, Commander, Apollo 14, Alan Shepard, Avec L'Admiration De Citoyens De Geneve.” The inner case back is marked with serial number "451041," and the movement is marked "618610." Includes the original crocodile skin strap and 18k gold buckle with marks on underside: “0.750, Depose, AW, Swiss.”

Accompanied by a letter of provenance from the consignor, in full: "My grandfather was a pilot during WWII, after the war he put himself [through] Baylor Dental School and became a Dentist. When NASA was founded my grandfather had an affiliation with them, I am not sure where he met Alan Shepard either through NASA or through his dentistry practice. All I know is that the two knew each other. When my grandfather died in '99 there was a watch left for my Dad in his Alan Shepard's will and he kept it in a safe deposit box ever since. When my Dad passed on 12-3-15 I was left the contents of his safe deposit box where I found this amazing timepiece. Now it's time for somebody else to enjoy this beautiful piece of precision craftsmanship."

According to the Vacheron Constantin archives, the present watch was one of three examples produced, completed in July 1971—one was given to Alan Shepard, one to Edgar Mitchell (sold by Christie’s in 2016), and the third presumably went to Stu Roosa.

Inside is the ultra-thin caliber 1003 movement, which was introduced by Vacheron Constantin in 1955 and stood as the world's thinnest hand-wound mechanical movement for more than fifty years.

Although the exact circumstances of the presentation are not known, Swiss citizens have frequently presented distinguished visitors with Vacheron Constantin wristwatches: for example, the world leaders who attended the 1955 Geneva Conference, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, received gold watches. This fine example was given to America’s preeminent spaceman—Alan B. Shepard, Jr., who became the first American in space on May 5, 1961, and later set foot on the moon as the commander of Apollo 14 in February 1971. Honoring the "Presence Americaine Sur La Lune"—the American presence on the moon—this is an incredible piece of space and horological history.

Also available Gennady Padalka's flown Omega Speedmaster Professional wristwatch, serial number 77754951, used on the International Space Station during Expedition 31/32 in 2012.

The iconic timepiece is a black-faced, stainless steel chronograph, manual wind wristwatch with a Plexiglass crystal, solid case back, anti-vibration and anti-magnetic dust cover, black tachymeter bezel and sub-dials, without date or day complications, powered by a caliber 861-based movement. Engraved on the case back is "Flight-Qualified by NASA For All Manned Space Missions / The First Watch Worn on the Moon."

The watch is on a black Velcro wristband, but includes the original metal bracelet issued with it. Also includes the original Omega red leather box, operating manual, and white cardboard box, which has a "Gennday Ivanovich Padalka" label affixed on the cover.

Accompanied by two letters of authenticity signed by Padalka, one typed and one handwritten; the handwritten letter reads, in part: "I herewith certify this Speedmaster Professional watch…was flown on the ISS and used by me during Expedition 31/32 in 2012." The typed letter, in part: "On May 15th, 2012, I launched to the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-04M from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and arrived at the ISS on May 17th, 2012. I…returned to Earth on September 17th, 2012 after a total of 125 days on orbit and my 3rd mission to the ISS…During EXP 32, Yuri Malenchenko and I performed a spacewalk outside the space station…During my time outside the station, I left this chronograph in the Pirs Module air lock and it was subjected to the vacuum of the space environment for 5 hours and 51 minutes during my ninth EVA in Space.

“This watch flew a total of 2 thousand orbits during 125 days in Space and traveled approximately 50 million miles during my space flight,” said Padalka in the signed letters of authenticity that accompany the sale.

Also includes images of Padalka wearing the watch in space and signing the letters of authenticity.

Commonly known as the 'Moon Watch,' the Omega Speedmaster Pro underwent exhaustive testing by NASA during the 1960s—assorted wristwatches were exposed to environmental conditions ranging from 0 to 200 °F, tested under 95% humidity for ten day periods, endured bursts of high acceleration and shock forces, and experienced severe air pressure and vibration trials. After three years of extreme testing, the evaluation concluded in March 1965 with the selection of the Speedmaster, which survived the tests while staying accurate within five seconds per day. Most often associated with the Apollo program, the Omega Speedmaster has become one of the most iconic timepieces ever created. This example casts the famous 'Moon Watch' in a new light—used in space by Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, who holds the record for most cumulative days spent in space. Although the 'Space Race' was born out of competition between Russia and America, the International Space Station represents a new era of cooperation between former enemies.

“Swiss-made, American-proved, and Russian-worn, this watch represents a pinnacle in space collecting,” said Bobby Livingston, Executive VP at RR Auction.

Additional highlights include:

• RL-10 rocket engine, the world's first liquid hydrogen—the type that powered the Saturn IV.

• Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong's NASA Beta Cloth Patch worn on his Portable Life Support System. From the collection of Dan Schaiewitz, who worked as Extravehicular Crew Training Engineer at KSC. Listen to Dan Schaiewitz discuss his experiences on the cutting edge of space exploration during the Apollo missions on the Rare and Remarkable! Podcast.

The Space & Aviation auction from RR Auction began on October 12 and will conclude on October 19.