The news that Ralph Ellison’s Speedmaster will be auctioned at Phillips in New York on December 12th was immediately echoed: a timepiece of historical importance that accompanied the writer for a good part of his life.

Who is Ralph Ellison

Mr. Ellison was an American writer who became particularly well known for his first novel, The Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953. Although he later worked on several other works, this is the most important and relevant to his career.

The Invisible Man as a Watch Enthusiast

The novel is about an African American man in search of his identity, his place in the world and society in the 1940s, addressing issues such as racism and other taboos both of the time and today.

Time is definitely a fundamental aspect in the story, and reading it from watch enthusiasts can only bring out this theme. Used as props during storytelling, the clocks are described in such detail that Ellison’s familiarity with these objects is clear.

The author was very clear on the meaning that a watch could have, both as a legacy or memory of a loved one, and as an object that marks time itself.

The story behind his personal watch

According to Phillips, it is impossible to ascertain whether Ralph Ellison received this Speedmaster as a gift or bought it himself. However, it is known that shortly after the watch was delivered to the United States in 1968, as confirmed by the Omega Archive Extracts, Ellison was interviewed and photographed in Riverside Park wearing it (see the photo at the beginning of the article).

Even when he lost the top chronograph button, as seen in the photo below, Ellison continued to wear it. The watch never left his arm, at most it hid under the cuff of an elegantly tailored suit, paired with the curl of cigar smoke. He kept it for twenty-five years, until his death from pancreatic cancer in 1994.

Provenance has been confirmed by the current owner, Ted Walbye, who bought the watch for just under $ 6,000 at an auction of the writer’s objects shortly after his passing. What gave further confirmation at the time was the absence of the button at 2 o’clock visible in numerous photos and the correspondence of the serial numbers present on some documents.

The Omega Speedmaster Ref.145.012-67 SP

The reference 145.012 needs a few introductions when it comes to vintage Speedmasters. Omega produced this watch between approximately 1967 and 1969, and it became the watch of choice for astronauts and for numerous NASA space missions.

If you’ve been reading IWS for some time, just look at the 90 on the bezel to understand that it’s a particularly collectible model thanks to the “DON” (dot over ninety).

Inside, the caliber 321 was equipped for the last time before a major break in the Omega manufacture. This caliber is widely appreciated by collectors, both aesthetically and technically, becoming a true cult in the world of vintage. For this reason the 145.012 is considered an “end of series” reference.

This same reference was used for some special and particularly popular versions, such as the first Ultraman, or the rare racing dial.

The owner who delivered the watch had the mechanism serviced and the seals changed. He had the missing key added with an original one and of the correct period, and finally had the glass replaced. However, all the original pieces have been preserved and will be included in the sale of the lot.

Conclusions

The estimated price for Ralph Ellison’s Omega Speedmaster is just $ 10,000-20,000. If it was a “common” 145.012 we could consider it appropriate, but given the origin and history of the watch we can only expect a much higher result.

In any case, the collector who will raise the headstock in the room and win the clock will have brought home one of the most important pieces that have appeared at auction in recent years.

The watch will be auctioned under lot number 138 by Phillips this December 12th in New York. Follow our Instagram profile to find out how much this piece of history will sell for.