Kizzi
New Member Posts: 4
From: Manchester, England
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 04-20-2012 08:37 AM
   
I'd like to share what I've been making: a Velcro watch strap for my Omega Speedmaster. To cut to the chase, pictures of the finished article are available here. Being a scale modeller, I've approached it as I would if I was making as accurate model as I could. Firstly, I based my research on blueprints in Chuck Maddox's site. There are about 10 watchbands in the Dwg. SEB12100030, so I had to choose which one was flown to the moon. Sheet one of the blueprints details all the material specifications that the watch strap should be made from, for example: - MIL-F-21840C Type II (0.008 inch monofilanent velcro tape, with selvage). Type I isn't made anymore, but the specs allow for either.
- MIL-T-5038 Type III (O.D. binding tape).
- MIL-S-7720A (stainless steel). The spec allows for 308 or 316 steel.
It's apparent that only the -201/202 and -209/210 configurations where made from black Velcro, while the six other configurations were all made from beta fabric (or Velcro made from beta fabric) so as to be fireproof in 100% oxygen. This also seems to bear out that I can't find any pictures of white watch straps used other than for training, such as here.The 19 inch -201 Velcro watchband also seems to have been either for the cuff checklist or the mirror (from image ap12-69-HC-1040). NASA noted that Apollo 17 left two wrist mirror and SEB12100030-201 watchbands on the moon. So the Apollo moon watch strap used for an Omega Speedmaster has to be either the -202 or the -209/210. This is born out by the pages 8.4-1 to 8.4-3 of Handbook of Pilot Operational Equipment for Manned Space Flight. A search for "Chronograph, Irwin, Apollo 15" and "Ron Evans SEB12100030 1087" should bring up comtemporary photographs of each. The last problem was what sort of markings should be printed on the watch strap. Bonhams did have a photograph that you could zoom in on for Fred Haise's Apollo 13 watchstrap, but that has now been removed. The best resource now available is based on JSC part numbering system for flight hardware. Sometimes you see CF-55052-5 printed on the watch strap, but that's for the original Gemini project design, with a rounded tab end. All in all I'm very pleased with the results. It's not really a 1:1 scale model, but not an original flown item either. I do think it is the most accurate NASA watch strap for the Omega, though. |
Kizzi
New Member Posts: 4
From: Manchester, England
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 04-30-2012 02:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Jurg Bolli:
Do you have any plans of making more than the one you have?
Yes, once I developed the techniques of making the steel loops, and the printing, and tamed a semi-industrial sewing machine, they're quite fun to make. My next project is the -207. Early days still, just sourcing the right materials! |
spaced out
Member Posts: 2489
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 11-25-2012 02:18 AM
To avoid any confusion now or in the future I would strongly suggest that you mark the item as a replica in some way that can be easily checked. It could be a discrete marking of some kind but it should be indisputable proof that the item is not an original.Also, I don't think you should use a real serial number. For example, it wouldn't affect the accurate appearance of the replica to use a serial number starting with a digit not actually used by NASA. |
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