Dated Wristwatch Dusted Off From Swedish Attic Breaks Auction World Record

The over fifty-year-old treasure, unearthed from a Swedish attic, has been auctioned for a breathtaking SEK 2,266,250 ($276,000), effectively the smashing world record for the iconic Omega Speedmaster.

The watch, which went under the hammer for twice as much as the previous record of this kind, was handed to the Swedish action house after the owner's son accidentally stumbled upon it in a nook together with 20 other watches while having a clean out following his father's death.

According to Bukowskis head of consignment and sales Björn Extergren, an expert on furniture, oriental design and works of art, the extraordinary price for a regular non-exclusive wristwatch was due to its unblemished condition, as the artifact has not been tampered with or repaired over the decades, despite being worn every day for long periods. Against the odds, it retained its original tachymeter scale, wide hands, exquisitely patina-covered dial, as well as its authentic 7077/6 steel bracelet.

​"Wow, it makes me so happy and so proud! What's amazing with Speedmaster — one of the most iconic watches for collectors — is that people around the world get the watch's message and spirit. The fact that someone is willing to pay that much in an auction in Sweden is even more proof of this, because this part of the world is driven by passion, not speculation," a delighted Omega CEO Raynald Aeshlimann told the Swedish news outlet Café.

The previous world record set by an Omega Speedmaster of the same model was set at Christie's in New York in 2015, which was sold for $137,000.

Omega is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Biel/Bienne and owned by the Swatch Group. Omega has been the official timekeeping device of the Olympic Games since 1932. Omega watches were used as official timekeepers by the British Royal Flying Corps and the US Army, as well as by NASA during the world's first Moon landing. Famous Omega wearers include John F. Kennedy, George Clooney and film protagonist James Bond.