Speedmaster and NASA
How did the association between NASA and Omega start? Was there a formal RFP process like everything else NASA did? (I was actually involved with the Grumman Aircraft (failed) attempt to win the contract for the Lunar Rover - just preparing the proposal was a huge task and of course it was extremely competitive). It would be fascinating to see the paperwork if it exists.
I found this history from NASA, but it doesn't say much. Any other good primary sources?
Any idea of how much money changed hands for the watches. It's not obvious to me who pays whom? Omega has certainly profited from the connection.
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Howard
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They tested all of the different chronograph watches without any of the manufacturers knowing about it. Omega had no clue that NASA had selected their watches until they were in space.
Have you tried looking for the documents mentioned in here?
Weren’t some space watches personal watches that the astronauts took up themselves
They tested all of the different chronograph watches without any of the manufacturers knowing about it. Omega had no clue that NASA had selected their watches until they were in space.
so that's fake?
so that's fake?
I think this point gets muddled a bit across the internet.
From a Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydemarco/2015/05/20/the-omega-speedmasters-14-seconds-of-fame/
“There’s legend and myth mixed in with the reality of the Speedmaster’s relationship with NASA. The entire truth may never be totally revealed (despite those who claim to know the whole story). This explanation will come close.
The relationship officially started in 1965. In March of that year, it was on the wrists of Virgil “Gus” Grissom and John Young during their Gemini 3 mission. Three months later Edward H. White wore his Speedmaster on America’s first spacewalk during the Gemini IV mission.
However, there were stories that astronauts wore their own personal Speedmasters as early as 1962. This is true according to Stafford, Omega documents and others at NASA. NASA astronauts Walter “Wally” Schirra and Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper purchased their first flight-watches: the second generation Speedmaster model with the reference CK2998. These privately-owned chronographs were to be used on the upcoming Mercury program flights. And indeed, the very first Speedmaster to fly on a space mission was Schirra’s own CK2998 during the Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) mission.
How the Speedmaster became NASA’s official watch is also filled with legend. In 1964, Deke Slayton, NASA operations director, sent a directive for an official watch for NASA pilots. A young engineer named James Ragan was tasked with testing the watch.
The rumors are that Ragan, or someone from NASA went to local jewelers to buy watches. I sat next to Ragan (now retired) at the anniversary dinner and asked him about the story. He put the kibosh on that quickly. NASA is a government organization that has to go through a formal process to make purchases. The truth, he said, is he directed someone at NASA to send out a request for proposal to watch companies. It was a blind directive. Companies receiving the request did not know how the timepieces were going to be used.
“We had four bids. Out of those we selected three watches because the fourth one was too big. We had a Hamilton. We had a Rolex. And we had an Omega,” Ragan said. “One watch had to pass all the tests and we had 10 different tests and none of them were easy but some of them were worse than others.”
The watches received a combination of tests to see how they performed under a variety of conditions, including extreme heat and cold, high oxygen environments, high humidity, different variations in G-force conditions, and even for high decibel environments.
“Within the first two tests, both the Rolex and Hamilton failed. Period,” he said. “So all that was left was the Omega. We followed through on all the testing. It passed all the tests. It did gain a little bit and lose a little bit in the temperature extremes. But those could be adjusted so we didn’t see that as a failure.”
I asked why the Speedmaster performed so well. His reply: “It’s a tough made watch. We beat the devil out of it.”
The picture Urquhart is referring to is of astronaut Ed White on the first ever spacewalk in 1965, where he could be seen wearing the watch. Ragan said there was a reason for this secrecy.
“The story is true,” Ragan said. “They didn’t know because we didn’t want them to go build something special. Deke Slayton who directed this wanted an off-the-shelf watch.”
The only modification made to the watch by NASA was the addition of a large Velcro strap so it can be worn over the spacesuit.
While the Speedmaster for NASA remains a commercial watch, there have been a couple minor adjustments made over the year at NASA’s request, Ragan said.
“The first chronographs that NASA bought were model 6049 (USA designation),” Ragan said in a statement. “These were to be used for the Gemini program. I found during crew usage for training and flight that it was very easy to bend or break the chronograph function buttons on the side. The case did not provide any protection for them. I asked Omega to consider redesigning the case to provide a little recess to better protect these buttons. Omega willingly redesigned the case and this configuration became the new version of the chronograph. It has the exact same movement—just a different case. This model was designated 6126 (USA designation). The model 6049 was used throughout Gemini and I started using the model 6126 model for Apollo and beyond.”
The other adjustment allowed the astronauts to more easily manipulate the chronograph buttons while wearing their spacesuit gloves.“
Without Omega’s Knowledge
Ragan said over the years he purchased 97 watches through the Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and SkyLab missions. They were used for training and on all missions, including spacewalks and moonwalks.
At the press conference with the astronauts, Stephen Urquhart, Omega president and CEO, said the watch brand had no discussions with NASA. The company didn’t even know NASA was using their watch. He also emphasized the obvious that the Omega Speedmaster, first introduced in 1957, wasn’t designed for space travel. It was created to time race cars.
“There was never any discussion between Omega and NASA on the watch,” Urquhart said. “In fact, Omega did not know they were flying those until the picture of Ed White in 1965. That’s when we first saw it on his wrist.
I think this point gets muddled a bit across the internet.
From a Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonydemarco/2015/05/20/the-omega-speedmasters-14-seconds-of-fame/
“There’s legend and myth mixed in with the reality of the Speedmaster’s relationship with NASA. The entire truth may never be totally revealed (despite those who claim to know the whole story). This explanation will come close.
The relationship officially started in 1965. In March of that year, it was on the wrists of Virgil “Gus” Grissom and John Young during their Gemini 3 mission. Three months later Edward H. White wore his Speedmaster on America’s first spacewalk during the Gemini IV mission.
However, there were stories that astronauts wore their own personal Speedmasters as early as 1962. This is true according to Stafford, Omega documents and others at NASA. NASA astronauts Walter “Wally” Schirra and Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper purchased their first flight-watches: the second generation Speedmaster model with the reference CK2998. These privately-owned chronographs were to be used on the upcoming Mercury program flights. And indeed, the very first Speedmaster to fly on a space mission was Schirra’s own CK2998 during the Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) mission.
How the Speedmaster became NASA’s official watch is also filled with legend. In 1964, Deke Slayton, NASA operations director, sent a directive for an official watch for NASA pilots. A young engineer named James Ragan was tasked with testing the watch.
The rumors are that Ragan, or someone from NASA went to local jewelers to buy watches. I sat next to Ragan (now retired) at the anniversary dinner and asked him about the story. He put the kibosh on that quickly. NASA is a government organization that has to go through a formal process to make purchases. The truth, he said, is he directed someone at NASA to send out a request for proposal to watch companies. It was a blind directive. Companies receiving the request did not know how the timepieces were going to be used.
“We had four bids. Out of those we selected three watches because the fourth one was too big. We had a Hamilton. We had a Rolex. And we had an Omega,” Ragan said. “One watch had to pass all the tests and we had 10 different tests and none of them were easy but some of them were worse than others.”
The watches received a combination of tests to see how they performed under a variety of conditions, including extreme heat and cold, high oxygen environments, high humidity, different variations in G-force conditions, and even for high decibel environments.
“Within the first two tests, both the Rolex and Hamilton failed. Period,” he said. “So all that was left was the Omega. We followed through on all the testing. It passed all the tests. It did gain a little bit and lose a little bit in the temperature extremes. But those could be adjusted so we didn’t see that as a failure.”
I asked why the Speedmaster performed so well. His reply: “It’s a tough made watch. We beat the devil out of it.”
The picture Urquhart is referring to is of astronaut Ed White on the first ever spacewalk in 1965, where he could be seen wearing the watch. Ragan said there was a reason for this secrecy.
“The story is true,” Ragan said. “They didn’t know because we didn’t want them to go build something special. Deke Slayton who directed this wanted an off-the-shelf watch.”
The only modification made to the watch by NASA was the addition of a large Velcro strap so it can be worn over the spacesuit.
While the Speedmaster for NASA remains a commercial watch, there have been a couple minor adjustments made over the year at NASA’s request, Ragan said.
“The first chronographs that NASA bought were model 6049 (USA designation),” Ragan said in a statement. “These were to be used for the Gemini program. I found during crew usage for training and flight that it was very easy to bend or break the chronograph function buttons on the side. The case did not provide any protection for them. I asked Omega to consider redesigning the case to provide a little recess to better protect these buttons. Omega willingly redesigned the case and this configuration became the new version of the chronograph. It has the exact same movement—just a different case. This model was designated 6126 (USA designation). The model 6049 was used throughout Gemini and I started using the model 6126 model for Apollo and beyond.”
The other adjustment allowed the astronauts to more easily manipulate the chronograph buttons while wearing their spacesuit gloves.“
Without Omega’s Knowledge
Ragan said over the years he purchased 97 watches through the Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and SkyLab missions. They were used for training and on all missions, including spacewalks and moonwalks.
At the press conference with the astronauts, Stephen Urquhart, Omega president and CEO, said the watch brand had no discussions with NASA. The company didn’t even know NASA was using their watch. He also emphasized the obvious that the Omega Speedmaster, first introduced in 1957, wasn’t designed for space travel. It was created to time race cars.
“There was never any discussion between Omega and NASA on the watch,” Urquhart said. “In fact, Omega did not know they were flying those until the picture of Ed White in 1965. That’s when we first saw it on his wrist.
🙏 thanks, that's actually quite fascinating. I knew very little about that and always assumed information was shared, just seemed logical (to me).
I mean that NASA didn't want something specially designed for them is odd, no? I think the intentions when they inquire about a watch are quite clear, NASA only does one thing 🙄. It seems the manufacturers would have had very little time to make something specific anyway so not much use hiding it (something government organisations aren't exactly good at anyway 😜). Would it have been too expensive (hard to believe?!) or were they afraid of QC issues (surely each watch going to NASA would be controlled properly?!) or so they don't use it as marketing (but would NASA care?!). Clearly they did want modifications in the end with the case and all...