A Rolex watch worn by Apollo 14 commander astronaut Edgar Mitchell during the U.S. space mission that landed on the moon in 1971 sold for nearly $2.2 million at auction. The watch attracted more than 30 bids during the RR Auction's space-themed sale.
"We are thrilled with the result because Ed Mitchell's Apollo Rolex is the most expensive item we've ever sold," said Bobby Livingston, RR Auction's executive vice president right after the sale concluded.
Mitchell, whose Apollo 14 mission was his only trip to space, died in 2016 at 85. After retiring from NASA, he devoted his life to studying consciousness, physics and unexplained or supernatural phenomena like aliens.
The U.S. space agency provided each astronaut on the Apollo missions with a watch for use in space. These watches are government property and are currently housed at the Smithsonian Institution.
Some astronauts like Mitchell, however, weren't satisfied with the watch provided by NASA and brought an additional watch of their own. These personal watches were often hidden, as NASA permitted astronauts who traveled to the moon to wear only the watches they issued.
Mitchell's Rolex was seen in photos and videos before the spacecraft's launch on January 31, 1971, and while aboard the spacecraft. Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert, who didn’t land on the moon due to a malfunction, and Ron Evans – who remained in the command module while his Apollo 17 crewmates landed on the moon – also took a Rolex watch into space. Unlike Mitchell, however, they didn't set foot on the lunar surface. Evans's watch was sold for $131,450 in 2009.
Mitchell's watch was auctioned at a New Hampshire auction house which has been operating since 1976.
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