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  Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
  Wristwatches worn on Mercury space missions

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Author Topic:   Wristwatches worn on Mercury space missions
Philip
Member

Posts: 6002
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 02-28-2004 02:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
We all know the OMEGA speedmaster wristwatchs of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, ASTP and Space Shuttle program ...
But which wristwatches were worn on the Mercury missions ?
It seems that Shepard wore a Breitling watch ?

STEVE SMITH
unregistered
posted 03-03-2004 01:57 PM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Phillip, there is a large display regarding the Omeaga watch at Cosmosphere. While there this morning, I checked it out for the information you're requesting.

It indicates that Alan Shepard chose not to wear a watch on his Mercury mission, although he did wear one on A14 to the moon, and it is on display at this exhibit at Cosmosphere (as is the watch worn by Kansan Ron Evans as A17 CSM Pilot, and a letter from Gene Cernan about how the watch helped him relate to Earth and his family activites there, while he was on the moon on A17).

The exhibit notes that Wally Schira was the first to fly with the Omega on his Mercury Fligh Sigma 7. It futher notes that when NASA flight certified the watch in 1965 it had already logged two Mercury Flights.

This is a neat exhibit that is often overloooked.

nasamad
Member

Posts: 2141
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 03-03-2004 04:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for nasamad   Click Here to Email nasamad     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

Hi,

Scott Carpenter wore a Breitling Navitimer and Gordon Cooper wore a Speedmaster and a Bulova Acutron Astronaut.

Adam

Philip
Member

Posts: 6002
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 03-04-2004 07:13 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks STEVE and ADAM ...
I'm collecting Space Flight related wristwatches and it's certainly a nice subject ...
Did You ever notice on the Gemini IV photos that Edward White wore double wristwatches during USA's first EVA !

John Youskauskas
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Posts: 126
From:
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-10-2004 03:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for John Youskauskas     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I also noticed in the photos of White's spacewalk that he had on two watches, but it is hard to tell if they are both Speedmasters. One appeared at auction some years ago, claimed by Ed White III to be the one his dad wore on GT-4 and in the fire. I wonder where the other one is?

For all you Omega nuts out there, good info can be found at www.Omega.ch or try www.clubspeedmaster.com

No finer watch out there.

John Youskauskas
Member

Posts: 126
From:
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 03-10-2004 03:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for John Youskauskas     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here is another awesome site with LOTS of history and info on the Speedmaster and the X-33. Great pics of the Apollo guys wearing theirs and links to the Breitling Navitimer as well.
http://www.expeditionexchange.com/omega/

As a side note, in watching the Spacecraft Films Apollo 17 DVD, I saw that Cernan and Evans both wore their own personal Omega underneath the suits, with the Nasa issued ones strapped to the outside. Ed Mitchell wore no less than 3 watches on Apollo 14...who knows how many of these are out there?

KC Stoever
Member

Posts: 1012
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-15-2004 03:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for KC Stoever   Click Here to Email KC Stoever     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Regarding Carpenter's Navitimer, please note that although he did indeed wear a Breitling Navitimer, it was modified at Carpenter's request to feature a twenty-four hour dial; he also asked Breitling to omit the tachymeter scale.

Breitling reissued a watch with this design after his May 24, 1962, flight, calling it the Cosmonaute.

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