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  Omega and JB Champion bracelets in space

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Author Topic:   Omega and JB Champion bracelets in space
David C
Member

Posts: 1014
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 11-01-2016 09:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I thought that the Apollo astronauts always wore their Speedmasters on velcro straps in flight, until I looked closely at these pictures of Gene Cernan during Apollo 17 using a JB Champion band. Taken aboard the CM: 163-24155:

Taken aboard the LM on the lunar surface. 145-22224:

Curiously, this shot inside the CM shows him wearing two Speedmasters on his left arm, one on velcro, the other on a JB Champion band. 162-24084:

TLIGuy
Member

Posts: 205
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 11-01-2016 03:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for TLIGuy   Click Here to Email TLIGuy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The famous JB Champion bracelet. My favorite subject when discussing the Speedmaster.

After looking at countless images of the Speedmaster I'm only familiar with three astronauts that wore a second Speedmaster on the JB Champion Bracelet during their missions.

  • Cernan - Apollo 10 and 17 (Straight end pieces)
  • Gordon - Apollo 12 (Horned end pieces)
  • Young - Apollo 10 and 16 (Horned end pieces)
Cernan's 105.003 on the JB Champion is on display at the Omega Museum in Switzerland. This was the same watch he wore during Gemini 10 as well.

Here is Cernan and Young both with JB Champion bracelets on Apollo 10 (Credit: "For All Mankind"):

 photo bec551ab-88b3-4267-b9ae-bcf4c1ce242a_zpsk68fieyl.png

Young also wore his Speedmaster on the JB Champion during STS-1.

Larry McGlynn has a deep knowledge of the use of the Speedmaster as well and hopefully he can chime in with some additional information if he has anything to add.

David C
Member

Posts: 1014
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 11-02-2016 02:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by TLIGuy:
The famous JB Champion bracelet. My favorite subject when discussing the Speedmaster.
My favourite strap when wearing my Speedmaster. So perhaps Cernan was the only guy to wear a JB Champion on the moon.

TLIGuy
Member

Posts: 205
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 11-02-2016 03:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for TLIGuy   Click Here to Email TLIGuy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I think it's highly possible that Cernan was indeed the only one to wear the JB Champion on the Moon with the 105.003 that is in the Omega Museum.

Going back over my images last night after I posted my response I wanted to see if I could locate another image of Young that could provide more conclusive evidence that he wore a second Speedmaster on the JB during Apollo 16. I was unable to locate any. I think I would amend my previous post to say he did wear a second Speedmaster on a JB bracelet during Apollo 10 but I'm unsure about 16.

Here is an image I had saved of Young from the Apollo 16 crew photo where he is wearing his Speedmaster on a riveted bund style strap with a small foldable Timely calendar wrapped around it. In his sitting portrait his Speedmaster is on the JB bracelet so who knows what flew if he wore a second watch.

 photo 234bb892-975e-4e33-b7c2-9f1805f28422_zpstza2opzw.jpg

TLIGuy
Member

Posts: 205
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 11-03-2016 03:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for TLIGuy   Click Here to Email TLIGuy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
After watching film of the crew breakfast and suiting up I do not believe Young wore a second Speedmaster on Apollo 16.

Here is Young with a Speedmaster back on the JB the morning of launch.

 photo 0fc9b237-f26d-4eaf-ad29-f3c7fa65340a_zpsj5x7gxfp.jpg

Young with no watch seen on his left wrist as the suit tech puts on his glove.

 photo d9a5ea0a-231d-42ad-b438-6b46781a4928_zpsxc3r9dyh.jpg

Later Young emerges during the crew walkout with a Speedmaster on velcro on his right arm.

Philip
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Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 11-03-2016 06:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
On several missions, the astronauts wore personal watches underneath the innerwear of the spacesuit (e.g. Apollo 14 LMP Ed Mtchell wore two Rolex watches underneath spacesuit).

Apollo 12 CMP Richard Gordon wore a similar Champion strap during suit up for the second lunar landing mission. See this month's MoonWatchUniverse update.

neo1022
Member

Posts: 281
From: Santa Monica, CA
Registered: Jun 2013

posted 02-15-2017 02:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for neo1022   Click Here to Email neo1022     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The vintage JB Champion mesh bracelet was *the* astronaut pairing for non-flight wear, as evidenced by all the photos of Apollo astronauts with the exact same band.

I came across my dad's old Omega (which he wore at Kennedy Space Center throughout Apollo), and it's on the same bracelet! I had no idea that this "cheapo" band was so iconic in relation to both Speedmasters and the Apollo program, but a bit of googling taught me a lot! Along the way, I found this handy guide.

Although they sold for $6.95 back in the day, they regularly fetch $400-500 on eBay... Anyone on here using this band?

Editor's note: Threads merged.

TLIGuy
Member

Posts: 205
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 02-15-2017 02:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for TLIGuy   Click Here to Email TLIGuy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I wear my 1968 Speedmaster exclusively on the JB Champion bracelet.

 photo 36192b67-f075-4947-a9ad-dc74bea8a7e9_zps82cvhauk.jpg

TLIGuy
Member

Posts: 205
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 04-30-2017 01:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for TLIGuy   Click Here to Email TLIGuy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
During my research into the use of the JB Champion bracelet I noticed the small metal calendars wrapped around many of the bracelets worn by the Apollo astronauts and after identifying the manufacturer I felt compelled to add a calendar to my bracelet to complete the period correct look.

After tracking down the first set of 1968 calendars a mild obsession began collecting complete unused sets of calendars from the Apollo years and recently I was able to obtain what I believe is the first set of calendars produced in 1966.

Below is a bit on the Timely calendars used during the Apollo years.

Here is a picture of the calendar on Dave Scott's bracelet.

 photo 74810a8f-742d-459c-a665-0889799038b2_zpsq0jqgquk.jpg

Here is the US Patent for the calendars issued on September 12, 1967. The 1966 calendars are printed with US Patent Pending as well as the sets from 1967. Beginning with the set produced in the 1968 US Patent 3,340,630 is printed on the calendars.

 photo e7137af7-e4e4-4f92-98d0-d8338161834a_zpsvautndsn.jpg

Here is the collection including 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, and 1972. I'm still searching for 1970 and 1971 to complete the Apollo years.

 photo IMG_1357_zpsnwbjzrz0.jpg

If you are asking yourself what prompted this post it was finding this passage on page 70 in the new book "Apollo Pilot: The Memoir of Astronaut Donn Eisele" by Francis French.

We all had minor problems during our flight. Wally was constipated, Walt didn’t like the food, and I couldn’t sleep - except, perversely, when I wasn’t supposed to. Wally and Walt got cabin fever. Walt made it worse with his daily ritual of scratching the date off his wrist calendar. I didn’t get "go home fever" until the very last day, which was a very long one for me.
I know it's more than you will ever want to know about this minute detail of the JB Champion bracelet, but there you have it.

Philip
Member

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 05-05-2017 08:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Superb little lot!

Larry McGlynn
Member

Posts: 1255
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 05-05-2017 01:33 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Larry McGlynn   Click Here to Email Larry McGlynn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by TLIGuy:
...complete unused sets of calendars from the Apollo years
Nice on the calendars. I have a couple of the JB Champion bands in the collection.

All times are CT (US)

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