Half a million euros for an Omega Speedmaster is not normal

You can get an Omega Speedmaster from about 6,000 euros, but this copy was sold for more than half a million euros.

Sometimes the watch is decisive. Sometimes the story. And sometimes it’s a combination of both. In this case it will be the latter. What you’re looking at is a 1968 Omega Speedmaster Professional. What makes it so special is that this watch was originally bought and worn by Ralph. W. Ellison. The author of the book The Invisible Man.

The watch was dear to him and remained on his wrist until his death in 1994. New York Auction House Phillips had the honor of auctioning this particular watch. The auctioneers themselves had estimated the proceeds between 8,900 and 17,700 euros. They were hugely wrong. The interest in the timepiece turned out to be enormous.

The Omega Speedmaster was eagerly bid. Ultimately, the highest bid came in at $667,800. That is converted 590,000 euros. The historical value of the timepiece was therefore enormous. Whether the buyer was a huge Ellison fan or simply sees this watch as an investment for the future is unknown. The fact is that paying well over half a million euros for a Speedmaster is not cat piss.