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Lot #3534
STS-55 Flown Pocket Watch

Unusual 1870s pocket watch flown in orbit for 4.1 million miles

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Estimate: $5000+
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Description

Unusual 1870s pocket watch flown in orbit for 4.1 million miles

Unique vintage circa 1870s pocket watch carried inside the PPK of astronaut Hans Schlegel aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia for STS-55, making 160 orbits and traveling about 4.1 million miles from April 26-May 6, 1993. The watch features a silver case, approximately 1.75″ in diameter, and white face with black Roman numeral hour markers. It remains sealed in its as-flown packaging, with the unflown winding key taped to the outside. In fine condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by the full STS-55 crew—Steve Nagel, Terrence Henricks, Jerry Ross, Charlie Precourt, Bernard Harris, Jr., Ulrich Walter, and Hans Schlegel—certifying that "this pocket watch was flown aboard the United States Space Shuttle, Columbia, April 26, 1993 to May 6, 1993, for Berthold Schiewe." Also includes a letter of provenance from Schiewe, detailing the history of the historic timepiece: "The pocket watch came about 1944/1945 into our family…In 1990, I started my work as a research assistant and Life Science Coordinator at the Scientific Project Management of the Second German Spacelab Mission (WPF-D2) and, in close cooperation with the German astronaut team and the NASA crew, I took the opportunity to send this pocket watch on a large 'journey' into space. The pocket watch belonged to the 'personal kit' of German astronaut 'Hans Schlegel'…The condition of the clock has been 'frozen' since that time."

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Space
  • Dates: #619 - Ended October 21, 2021