posted 01-13-2026 10:03 AM               

Still, from a watch enthusiast's perspective, this is pretty historic. For a watch that never really caught on with the general public, it certainly has had it’s share of firsts and this flight adds to that list.

posted 01-13-2026 12:12 PM               

We will have a NASA [issued] watch. It's the one that we've all flown with before on ISS, I believe, or have had the option to.

We have one issued so that we can get used to in the training. This is because our watches are operational. We use it to set mission elapsed time, and we practice that in our sims.

posted 01-13-2026 06:26 PM               

The ones I typically see have to be shipped from Japan. I know that they're still out there, but perhaps the owners know what they have and are unwilling to part with them.

posted 01-13-2026 06:39 PM               

This is as good a place as any to share my X-33, since the lineage of today's Generation 2 X-33 being flown begins with the early tested watches.

After the X-33 prototypes were tested beginning with STS-75 changes were made per astronauts feedback and the Generation 1 X-33 was produced. The watch was again tested by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds before being introduced to the public onboard MIR in March 1998.

My Generation 1 X-33 was purchased from one of the Blue Angels demonstration pilots that began flying and testing the watch beginning in 1997 and flew with it for two show seasons. Team members were provided watches to test for feedback to Omega. Once the testing was completed the watches were returned to Omega where the Blue Angels patch was engraved on the case back and then offered to the pilots for purchase.

This watch sat in the pilots drawer for over 20 years until I purchased it. I replaced the battery and it has been keeping time flawlessly ever since.

I recently had the opportunity to take the watch on a visit out to the USS George H.W. Bush as they prepare for their upcoming deployment.

While pictures of X-33 taken in the ISS cupola are cool, I think mine on the bridge of the carrier at the Captain's chair is pretty great.

posted 01-18-2026 06:34 AM               

The X-33 Flightmaster and its mission to MIR.

posted 01-19-2026 06:07 AM               

Here is an image that was shared at another forum from a poster that clams he has a friend at NASA that apparently shared with him this image of the Artemis 2 crew watches.

posted 01-19-2026 11:18 AM               

eBay has several right now of the black stitch version for around $200 and there's a white stitch version for $335. No buckles included.

posted 01-19-2026 11:33 AM               

If you look closely at the watches strapped on the exterior of the flight suits 2 straps are joined together to accommodate the circumference. Once on orbit the straps are disconnected and the watch worn normally on one

See Jeremy Hansen's watch on the table with two straps worked together.

posted 03-30-2026 03:39 AM               

Although we are familiar with the 12 hours dial, flight surgeons believe that a 24 hours movement/dial wrist watch chronograph, displaying an unambiguous representation of a whole day at one glance, would be a very useful tool for future long-duration spaceflight missions.

On average, a Hohmann transfer orbit to the planet Mars will take spacefarers 300 days before arriving at the red planet. Crew members would benefit having a 24 hours movement/24 hours dial wristwatch as it instantly shows if mission control, and families on Earth are on AM or PM time.

In this way the wristwatch will not only be a versatile backup timing device but also an accurate direct link to the home front!

posted 04-04-2026 03:53 AM               

Besides the sleep/awake NASA ActiWatch, three Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute 24 hours dial/movement versions.

Four Omega X-33 on long straps stayed with the orange space suits, while at least two other astronauts (Glover and Koch) wear one X-33 on a bracelet. So six Omega X-33 at least.

On Speedytuesday 7 April they will be on the far side of the moon, what Omega marketing always called the "Dark Side of the Moon," but we all know each spot on the moon (except outer poles) sits 14 days in sunlight and 14 days in dark shadow!

posted 04-04-2026 09:32 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Philip:
Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute 24 hours dial/movement

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posted 04-11-2026 02:36 PM               

Looking further at the X-33 straps, they are obviously designed specifically to fit over the suits. If you think about it, trying to just add an additional strap would leave you with two of the same ends (the spring bar ends) to join together. The center extension piece is apparently made to fix that issue. The buckle end also appears to be way too long for any wrist.

posted 04-12-2026 06:51 AM               

Here are two new images post landing of Weisman clearly showing both sides of the watch strap. One of the pictures showing the other half of the strap which we have not seen before.

In this image we see the strap side with the buckle.

In this image we finally see the long side with the holes.

Now, refer back to the image I shared above showing Hansen's strap. If you look very closely below the buckle you will see what looks to be a wrap around the strap. It would appear that an additional Omega OEM strap was connected together, eliminating where the case pins would go, making one long single strap with holes on one end and a buckle, with the strap keeper visible, on the other end. You can also see that whoever made the wrap to connect the ends together used black stitching because the white stitching from the strap ends where the wrap goes around.

There was extra long version on this OEM Omega strap available at one time and that appears to be what they are using here.

I'm not going to say it's not possible that additional X-33's were flown, but I would guess not. I know speaking to William Readdy about flying one of the first X-33's on STS-79, they used a plastic Casio style watch extension to fit it around his suit and once in orbit he remove the extension and then strapped the watch on his wrist.

Regarding the Artemis II watches, once the extension was removed that leaves the watches with extremely long straps. That might explain why most the images we have seen show the crew wearing the Navitimer and Glover with his personal X-33 on the bracelet. Koch appears to wear the X-33 on her wrist so maybe the long end is folded over, or secured with a keeper, so it fits more comfortably.

I know Tonto and will reach out to him once they are settled in. I want my first message to him to be congratulatory and not tell me about your X-33 watch strap. I'll get a definitive answer in time.

posted 04-12-2026 07:21 PM               

Here is the image I've been looking for that I think definitely answers the strap extension question.

This is a picture of Glover's strap. Clearly it is the end of an Omega strap connected to a what appears to be a ribbed elastic band that would have a buckle on the opposite end.

This is the set up seen on the strap and watch on the table next to Hansen above.

posted 04-13-2026 10:54 AM               

Breitling celebrates its first flight to the moon with Navitimer 'Artemis II' watch

The first Swiss watch brand to be worn into space is now the newest timepiece to be flown around on the moon.

Breitling on Monday (April 13) confirmed what spaceflight and watch enthusiasts had already spotted during the mission: NASA's Artemis II crew, who returned safely to Earth on Friday, wore for part of their 10-day moon mission a previously unseen Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute model with a 24-hour dial.