posted 02-09-2020 11:33 AM               

The Giant Leap Tour - a Unique Omega Speedmaster wristwatch presented to the Shah of Iran by the crew of the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission during their visit on 'the Giant Leap' tour to Iran in October 1969

The Watch Auction, Lot 15, Feb. 19, 2020

Estimate: £15,000 - £25,000
Starting: £13,000

In 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts visited 23 countries during what was called the "Giant Leap" goodwill tour, including Iran.

This Omega watch was first presented to the Shah of Iran by the crew of Apollo 11 during this tour. The Shah then regifted it to his half-sister, Princess Fatemeh Pahlavi, who gave it to the owner as gratitude for helping her become the first Iranian woman to fly a helicopter.

In the late 1960s, the owner a former military pilot was contracted to train helicopter pilots for the Iranian Air Force based in Ghale Morghi, Tehran.

The instructors were asked by Princess Fatemeh Pahlavi, wife of General Khatami, head of the Imperial Iranian Airforce, to teach her to fly. Various references to this instruction appear in his flying logbooks, including an entry on August 26th 1969 recording “T.V. Phot Princess Fatemeh Pahlavi” of which the actual photograph of the Princess in a Bell 47 helicopter appears on the Iranian.com website.

The date on the website stating c. Aug 29th is incorrect, the Captain recalls he was actually stood directly behind the photographer at the time on the 26th August 1969, he then took the Princess up for a 20 minute flight!

After the princess first flew solo, she presented him with this watch in his flight school office.

He kept the watch in a safe for many years. He said: “The Omega is much venerated but hasn’t been seen by many people. It holds lots of good memories for me, but I thought it would be jolly nice if it was worth something. If it sells, I’ll take my wife on a cruise.”

His exploits in evacuating a fleet of helicopters from Iran when the Shah was overthrown in 1979 are featured in author James Clavell’s 1986 novel Whirlwind. Commonly known as ‘Operation Sandstorm’

Princess Fatemeh, died in London in 1987 aged 58.

posted 02-09-2020 03:27 PM               

NASA SP-4223 "Before This Decade is Out..." records the formal gifts on the world tour. (This listing though, does not necessarily mean that other items were not also gifted.)

There were three major items for the astronauts to present to heads of state and other dignitaries during the Apollo 11 World Tour. These include the following:

• Replica of the plaque left on the Moon mounted on a walnut backing. A plaque was presented to the leading official at each city.

• Replica of Goodwill Message disc left on the Moon, eight-power magnifying glass and framed photograph. These were presented to the signers of each of the individual messages that were contained in the original message disc. Nations on the Apollo 11 World Tour that provided goodwill messages included on the message disc include the following: Argentina, President Juan Carlos Ongania; Australia, Prime Minister John Gorton; Belgium, Baudouin I, King of the Belgians; Brazil, President Arthur Da [243] Costa E. Silva; Colombia, President Carlos Lleras Restrepo; Congo, President J.D. Mobuto; India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi; Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Aryamehr; Italy, President Guiseppe Sarget; Japan, Prime Minister Eisaku Sato; Korea, President Park Chung Hee; Mexico, President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz; Netherlands, Juliana R.; Norway, King Olav R.; Pakistan, A.M. Yahya Khan; Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyade, King of Thailand; Turkey, President Cevdet Sunay; United Kingdom, Elizabeth R.; Vatican, Pope Paul VI; Yugoslavia, President Josip Broz-Tito; Canada, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

• Color photographs from the Apollo 11 mission (8" x 10" mounted on 11" x 14" mats; 11" x 14" mounted on 16" x 20" mats) were autographed aboard the aircraft for presentation to lesser dignitaries (i.e. ministers, ambassadors, mayors, etc.).

posted 02-19-2020 11:05 AM               

Auctioneer David Hare, from Gardiner Houlgate in Wiltshire, said its presentation to the Shah by the Apollo 11 crew was "well documented" and Mr White's flight logs and photos from 1969 show "his lessons with the princess."