Buzz Aldrin's Watches: The Apollo Astronauts and the Omega Speedmaster

Buzz Aldrin was the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 11 in July 1969, and the Omega Speedmaster Professional he wore on the surface is often called the first watch worn on the Moon. It is also a missing watch: it vanished on its way to the Smithsonian and has never been recovered. This guide covers that watch, Neil Armstrong 's Speedmaster that stayed in the lunar module, the other Apollo-era watches with a documented story, and the watches Aldrin owned later. Each entry is labeled by how well the evidence holds up, and where our sources disagree we say so.

Who wore what: quick reference

Buzz Aldrin (Gemini 12, Apollo 11 and later)

Aldrin's watches fall into three groups: the NASA-issued Speedmasters he flew, the one that went missing, and the personal watches he owned afterward. He later became an Omega ambassador, from 2009, and spoke at Omega House in London on August 2, 2012. In his memoir Return to Earth (1973) he describes the mission watches as ordinary store-bought Omegas issued to the crews, and in a quote reported by Wikipedia he said wearing it on the Moon was optional.

Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew (Apollo 11, July 1969)

Armstrong's Speedmaster stayed in the lunar module Eagle as a backup after the module's timer malfunctioned, which is why Aldrin's, not Armstrong's, was on the surface. Armstrong's watch, and Michael Collins's, are in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, which holds 63 Speedmasters in total.

Other Apollo-era astronauts (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo)

The Apollo 11 watches are only part of the story. Several other astronaut watches have well-documented moments, and one of them is not an Omega.

The Speedmaster and the Snoopy award

The Speedmaster's link with the Apollo programme runs past Aldrin's wrist. Two moments are worth separating from the astronaut-owned watches above, and one commercial one.

Omega's later Apollo 11 editions are tributes, not Aldrin's watch. Omega's July 19, 2022 portrait of Aldrin shows him with a Speedmaster 321 (ref. 311.30.40.30.01.001), which uses the calibre that ran from Apollo 11 through 17.

The lost watch, the 2003 lawsuit and what you can buy

What we know about the loss. Aldrin's memoir says the watch was shipped to the Smithsonian with other items and was missing, along with several medals, when the packages arrived. NASA's security investigation found no clues, and the US Government Accountability Office had ordered NASA to recover all astronauts' flown Omegas. The date is given as around 1971. No source we read proves the watch was stolen, so we say lost.

The 2003 claim. In October 2003 Stephen Morely of Long Beach, California sued, claiming that a watch he bought for $175 in the early 1990s, with “43” on the case back, was Aldrin's. The case was dismissed in June 2004 after the US government and Aldrin concluded it was not his watch. The serial number “43” is Morely's belief, not an Aldrin quote.

Did Aldrin own it? Sources conflict. One line of argument is that the watch was NASA property under the GAO order; Aldrin's own text says astronauts traditionally kept their watches. We cannot resolve this, so treat ownership as UNCERTAIN.

Prices today. One third-party price guide (WatchScanning, updated August 16, 2026) lists the current Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch with Hesalite crystal (310.30.42.50.01.001) at $6,800 US retail, with pre-owned examples at $4,500-$5,800, the sapphire version (.002) at $7,800 and the Moonshine gold at about $48,600. The 2019 Apollo 11 50th Anniversary “Moonshine” gold (310.60.42.50.99.001) was limited to 1,014 pieces at about CHF 32,000 at launch, per search summaries we did not open. For the model's history, see our Omega Speedmaster guide and the wider Omega history.

Get the look for less

Watches that carry the Apollo link, with indicative US prices. These are editorial suggestions, not astronaut watches.

Myths and mix-ups, corrected

• “Armstrong wore the first watch on the Moon.” No. His Speedmaster stayed in the lunar module Eagle after the timer malfunctioned. Aldrin's was the first worn on the surface.
• “The Speedmaster in the Smithsonian is the Moon watch.” The museum's Apollo 11 Speedmaster is Armstrong's, the one that stayed in Eagle. Aldrin's watch is missing.
• “Sotheby's sold Aldrin's Moonwatch in 2019.” Sotheby's 2019 lot 47, an Omega Speedmaster ref. 105.012-65 “Buzz Aldrin” (estimate $10,000-$15,000), was a 1967 retail watch delivered to Sweden with an Aldrin-signed box. It was not his flown watch.
• “Aldrin's lost watch was found.” That was satire. The 2003 claimant's watch was rejected by the US government and Aldrin.
• “The 2017-onward Apollo 11 Speedmasters are his watch.” They are Omega tribute editions.
• “The Nixon gold watch was a BA or ST 145.022.” Wikipedia gives BA 145.022 for the gold Speedmaster Nixon received and says only 1,014 were made, which conflicts with collectSPACE's 26 Tribute watches plus 976 retail ones. We cannot reconcile the totals.

Sources and limits

collectSPACE (Aldrin lawsuit coverage, Armstrong gold watch sale, Scott Bulova sale), Wikipedia (Omega Speedmaster), the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection and features, The Jewellery Editor (Omega House talk, 2012), La Cote des Montres, Signe magazine, DuPont Registry (July 17, 2026), Hour Markers, Gear Patrol, Sotheby's (2019 lot 47) and WatchScanning. We could not read the NASA Lunar Surface Journal watch page, Hodinkee, or any Phillips, Christie's or Antiquorum lots, and the DuPont total for the 2026 sale ($201,048) is higher than the sum of its listed prices ($194,048) without explanation. Prices are indicative US-dollar figures from the dates shown. For other famous-watch guides, see our famous people watches hub.