posted 09-17-2025 09:05 AM               

In this in-depth video, space historian, renowned NASA expert, and editor of collectSPACE.com Robert Pearlman talks through the watches of space travel. From Omega’s deep history with NASA to spacefaring expeditions from countries across the globe, this video gives you a front seat to horological interstellar icons over the past 60-plus years. From Omega to Rolex to Vostok to IWC, these are the watches that have cemented their place in the cosmos.

View the full 20-minute "Watches of NASA" video. Free registration is required.

posted 09-25-2025 03:27 AM               

Yuri Gagarin's Shturmanskie pilot watch was strapped on the outside of the SK1 spacesuit, as Shturmanskie watches were for all Vostok cosmonauts including Valentina Tereshkova. Might be confused by the 1965 Voshkod II crew, Leonov and Belyayev, who wore their Strela chronograph underneath the Berkut space suit.

Well, initially NASA wanted a 24 hours movement and dial wrist watch, hence the bespoke LeCoultre "Mercury 7" based on the LeCoultre Quartermaster. These were only used in training and PR events but for future long duration missions, space agencies again look at 24 hours movement time pieces.

Personal watches for the Russians, well the Roscosmos guest cosmonauts did so but the Russian watch factory created watches specifically for spaceflight (e.g. 1968 NIIChasprom Electronic). Practically all cosmonauts wore the Poljot 3133 and later 31659 chronograph up to 1994 when Fortis stepped in.

The first automatic watch in space was worn by Charles 'Pete' Conrad as he wore his personal Glycine Airman GMT pilot watch on Gemini V and later on Gemini XI exposing it to outer space during Richard Gordon's EVAs.

During Skylab SL-4 both Gerald Carr (Movado Datachron) and William Pogue (Seiko 6139-6005) wore the first automatic chronographs in space.

The Alaska Project Speedmaster with outer case was not pressurized but the red anodized outer shell was designed for use on the Lunar Rover Vehicle on the bumpy and dusty lunar surface. Apollo 17 to 20 were cancelled so the Alaska Project II Speedmaster was not used by NASA but was ordered by the Soviet-Russians. Moreover, the Alaska Project III Speedmaster "radial dial" had practical features requested by the NASA astronauts in 1968 and after the Apollo 13 flight. This "radial dial" Speedmaster was flight-qualified for the space shuttle and used between 1981 and 1995!

Currently the Speedmaster X-33 is the spacefarers' practical watch both for Russians, Europeans and Americans. ESA even had its own X-33 Skywalker version.

It's a fact that a wrist watch remains the most personal even emotional memento for each spacefarer!