Bob’s Watches Thomas Francis Finley Jr. proudly presents an amazing piece of history by a dedicated United States Navy Veteran who served for 28 Years. He retired with the rank of Navy captain and served on the USS Midway at Navy Pier, San Diego, for the last 17 years.
Tom, who joined the Navy on October 16, 1966, piloted the helicopter H3 during special operations. He was also involved in retrieving the Apollo 14 crew after they splashed into the South Pacific Ocean in February, 1971. Tom wore the 1675 Rolex GMT-Master circa68 on these missions. It will be auctioned soon. Bob’s Watches platform. This amazing Timepiece is expected to sell for approximately $15,000 – $30,000.
The auction, titled “The Apollo 14 Ocean Recovery GMT,” will last for 5 days, starting on Friday, November 10, and ending on Tuesday, November 14. It’s worth noting that there is no reserve or buyer’s premium.
You can also find out more about this by clicking here. Rolex GMT Master, complete with box and papers, comes directly from the original owner, Tom Finley, who purchased it in 1969 in Hong Kong at Artland Watch Co. while on a week-long “shore leave” during Vietnam. Tom bought a Rolex because his field watch had flooded and he realized that he needed a reliable watch. He had limited knowledge of watches at the moment, but he was told by other servicemen that Rolex would be the brand to choose. Tom kept the box and the papers for many years.
Tom played a vital role in recovering the Apollo 14 mission, as he was the copilot of the helicopter which picked up the astronauts. Apollo 14 was the 8th crewed US space mission, and the 3rd to successfully land on Moon. Alan B. Shepard Jr. Stuart A. Roosa & Edgar G. Mitchell made up the core crew for this historic mission. The astronauts were transported by Tom’s helicopter to the USS New Orleans, the prime recovery vessel. Tom and his crew safely transported the astronauts from Pago-Pago to American Samoa.
Tom is still a dedicated volunteer on the USS Midway, in San Diego. He was a docent on the ship for 17 years. Tom has impressively logged almost 8,000 volunteer hour aboard the USS Midway. Tom is eager to let go of these treasured possessions that he has owned for decades.All photos by Bob’s Watches
| All photos by Bob’s Watches