Do you know your space watches?
Do you know what the official space agency watch is, How about the first watch in space and who wore it. How about which watch shouldn’t have been in space. Take a look above and see if you can get what space info the watch is known for before looking below,
Did you know this Seiko was not approved by NASA but was still brought in space by astronaut William Poque?
Ok, now did you know that this Breitling is the first watch confirmed to be worn in outer space and by astronaut Scott Carpenter.
Here’s one you might not know. This Russian watch POBEDA 34-K is the first watch in space, but! It was worn by a dog. Yep, I said a dog.
Hope you don’t get tricked here. This Fortis is the first , ( Official Agency Space Watch) but it’s official by the Russian agency ROSKOMOS. Hope I got that spelled right.
Well here is one we all should get, or at least people of my age. If you guessed, it’s NASAs designated moon watch. Did you get it correct? Hope you like this little bit of space history. If so, let me know and I’ll try doing more. Keep on watching!
God, Family and Country. Watch repair, custom watches and engraving
Sorry to break it to you, but no post about space watches is ever complete without the legendary Bulova Lunar Pilot!
Jk, just a Lunar Pilot fanboy wanting to shove its weird backstory into your face 😉👍
Loved this little tidbit of space watch history, I even learned something new today. Thanks for that! 🙏
Don't forget the Seiko A829-6019
The Poljot 3133 chronograph went to space as well. I have one similar to the one in the photo
Sorry to break it to you, but no post about space watches is ever complete without the legendary Bulova Lunar Pilot!
Jk, just a Lunar Pilot fanboy wanting to shove its weird backstory into your face 😉👍
Loved this little tidbit of space watch history, I even learned something new today. Thanks for that! 🙏
The problem with the Bulova that Dave Scott wore is that it was a prototype, and never sold commercially.
All the other watches mentioned you could go out and buy (and probably still can, if you’ve got the money)
The Lunar Pilot available today is (just) an homage to that prototype watch. That, in my eyes, makes it one of the lesser space watches
Thanks for the information. I love Space watches. When you said "first watch confirmed to be worn in outer space", I thought you were referring to either the Gagarin Sturmanskie worn in the Soviet Space Capsule (in space) or the Strela, worn by Cosmonaut Alexi Leonov during his spacewalk in the vacuum of space. I didn't know about the Russian dog watch (that's cool).
Taking off my Russo centered Chekov hat (TOS reference), I thought John Glenn wore a Heuer pocketwatch strapped to his wrist on his first orbital flight but this probably wasn't confirmed or it's a stopwatch and doesn't qualify. Speaking of John Glenn, here is an article about how a bunch of his watches showed up in a tray at his estate sale including the same Carpenter Breitling model and a LeCoultre watch issued to the Mercury 7 Astronauts (why can't this ever happen to me). https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/my-hunt-for-john-glenns-watches
The Carpenter Breitling is really cool and then we get the first watch worn by an American in the vacuum of space: the venerable and really tragic Ed White Speedy (Rest in Peace).
Sorry to break it to you, but no post about space watches is ever complete without the legendary Bulova Lunar Pilot!
Jk, just a Lunar Pilot fanboy wanting to shove its weird backstory into your face 😉👍
Loved this little tidbit of space watch history, I even learned something new today. Thanks for that! 🙏
Everyone seems to know the Bulova as well as the Omega. I just thought I’d throw some facts out there that most people don’t know.
Watch in space is a whole lot of yawn at this point, just about every watch has been there and at this point the Apple Watch has almost caught up to the X33, which (at last check) is the current record holder for most times in space:
Don't forget the Seiko A829-6019
As you can see in this picture they were set to « sun » mode and not to the more appropriate « moon » mode. Might explain it didn’t make the list!
The problem with the Bulova that Dave Scott wore is that it was a prototype, and never sold commercially.
All the other watches mentioned you could go out and buy (and probably still can, if you’ve got the money)
The Lunar Pilot available today is (just) an homage to that prototype watch. That, in my eyes, makes it one of the lesser space watches
I see your point, and while I have to agree it was just a prototype back then, the fact that Bulova re-issued it as a commercially available product means that the demand for it must've been high in the first place. It very much reminds me of the Seagull 1963, which initially was also just a prototype with 30 pieces specifically made for the chinese military.
In conclusion, while I don't necessarily buy a watch for its history or heritage, is nice to have 1-2 pieces that, apart from just looking good, also have an interesting story to tell!
I see your point, and while I have to agree it was just a prototype back then, the fact that Bulova re-issued it as a commercially available product means that the demand for it must've been high in the first place. It very much reminds me of the Seagull 1963, which initially was also just a prototype with 30 pieces specifically made for the chinese military.
In conclusion, while I don't necessarily buy a watch for its history or heritage, is nice to have 1-2 pieces that, apart from just looking good, also have an interesting story to tell!
Bulova waited 45 years before releasing their homage, despite the fact there are even pictures of Scott wearing it on the moon saluting the American flag!
Someone in the Bulova marketing department really dropped the ball on that one!
Cool post, love a bit of space stuff 🖖🏻