Moon Watch Universe

History, background & science about the spaceflight saga of the iconic Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch and space-flown wrist watches Fact checked esoteric research!

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June 1966… Gemini X training 60 years ago... Michael Collins during Gemini X. Collins graduated from the United States Military Academy - West Point Class 1952, joined the US Air Force as a testpilot and was selected in NASA’s third group of astronauts in 1963. Selected as backup for Gemini VII, Collins became prime crew pilot for Gemini X in January 1966.  The first NASA photos showing Michael Collins wearing a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster are dated April 1966 and in these June 1966 photos Collins wore a Speedmaster 105.003-63 wrist chronograph on long Velcro strap. Interestingly, during the Gemini X mission, Collins wore the NASA-issued Speedmaster on a leather bund-type strap underneath the David Clark space suit. Collins performed a 49-minutes long stand-up EVA (torso outside spacecraft) and an umbilical EVA-spacewalk to retrieve experiments from the Agena Target Vehicle. Collins main task was to perform celestial navigation with a handheld sextant. During his two spaceflight missions, Michael Collins accumulated 11 days 2 hours in space. (Photos: NASA)

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60 years ago… Gemini IX the 7th two men mission. On June 5, Cernan performed a spacewalk wearing an Environmental Life Support System (ELSS) chest pack and a 75 kilograms Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU). However, after two hours with an overheated suit, a fogged-up face plate he had to end the perilous EVA, barely being able to return safely into the Gemini capsule. The Gemini IX mission lasted 3 days 20 minutes, it would be up to "Mr Rendez-vous" Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin PhD to sort out and master spacewalking in Low Earth Orbit. This June 10, 1966 photo shows NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan arriving at Ellington field Houston - Texas meeting his family. Note the NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-64 wrist chronograph (NASA #28), which became his lucky charm. During both Apollo 10 and 17, Cernan wore this Speedmaster #28 underneath the spacesuit on a lightweight steel mesh Jacoby Bender Champion bracelet. Today it resides on display in the Omega museum in Bienne - Biel kanton Bern - Switzerland. (Photo: NASA)

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US Air Force BrigGeneral Charles Duke… In 1965 Charles "Charlie" Duke graduated as test pilot at the ARPS (class 64C) Aerospae Research Pilot School and was selected a NASA astronaut in April 1966. Duke became a crew support member for Apollo 10, LMP backup for Apollo 13 and 17. In April 1972, he became the tenth man to walk on the Moon, staying 71 hours in the Descartes region. In 1975, Charles Duke retired from NASA, became a USAF(R) Brig General in 1979 and retired from the Air Force in 1983. Since 2017, Charles "Charlie" Duke has been an ambassador for Omega watches and in this official 1971 NASA portrait Duke wore a NASA-issued Speedmaster 105.012 wrist chronograph. (Photo: NASA S71-51288 /Omega)

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65 years ago... US Navy Cdr NASA astronaut Alan B. Shepard On February 21, NASA Robert Gilruth had chosen the three Mercury astronauts that would make the first flight, in alphabetical order implying that no final decision had been made: Glenn, Grissom and Shepard. LIFE magazine brought the story calling these three the Gold team, the other astronauts were called the Red team. On May , 1961 US Navy LtCdr Alan B. Shepard became the first NASA astronaut making a 15 minutes sub-orbital flight onboard Mercury-Redstone 3 "Freedom 7". Although no wrist watch was worn on the short sub-orbital flights, in September 1959 the Space Task Group for Project Mercury had already issued the first official NASA astronaut wrist watches for the "Mercury 7" astronauts; a bespoke 24 hours dial/movement LeCoultre pilot watch based on the LeCoultre Quartermaster. The military-inspired Quartermaster was produced in 1957 to celebrate 125 years of LeCoultre watches, 2500 were made. The Space Task Group for Project Mercury wanted a 24 hours movement wrist watch so the astronauts were in sink with the worldwide NASA MSFN Manned Space Flight Network of tracking stations & ships. For these 34mm LeCoutre watches, the astronauts had the choice between the "Lizard expansion" bracelet or the lightweight mesh bracelet. However, the watches were only used in training between September 1959 and October 1963. (Photo: LIFE magazine)

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On April 27th, 1976, NASA inventoried about 60 out of 97 Omega Speedmaster chronographs and made these available to the National Air & Space Museum (NASM) in Washington, DC. These older Speedmaster versions were no longer needed for program support while NASA kept 145.012 versions for ALT and STS programs. Then and now, these Omega watches were considered a collection with significant artifactual value! (Photo: Fratellowatches)

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First NASA-issued astronaut wrist watches! 65 years ago the first NASA manned spaceflight of Alan Shepard was postponed due to rainy weather, pushing launch to May 5, 1961. This May 5 photo shows Mercury 7 astronauts Scott Carpenter and Schirra with some of the astronauts' wives at the beach near Cape Canaveral. Note the photo of the MR-3 "Freedom 7" launch and both Walter Schirra and Scott Carpenter wearing a NASA-issued Lecoultre "Mercury 7" astronaut watch. These watches were commissioned by the Space Task Group for Project Mercury and the astronauts wore these during training between September 1959 and October 1963. In other words, the Mercury 7 astronauts received their official NASA wrist watches six months before they could wear their bespoke BF Goodrich pressure suits, delivered in March 1961 ! The Lecoultre 24 hours dial/movement watches were based on the Lecoultre Quartermaster as NASA wanted the astronauts to wear Zulu time watches in accordance with the worldwide MSFN ! (Photo: UPI)

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55 years ago... 60 seconds bezel on NASA Speedmasters. NASA photo 71HC-677 is among the very first photos clearly showing a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster with "60 seconds" bezel... May 5, 1971. Apollo 15 "Moonwalkers" David Scott & James Irwin presenting the Geologic Rover, used in training at the artificially created Cinder Lake crater field in Arizona. Of course I won't reveal the exact moment how & when NASA presented the 60 seconds bezel and won't go on about the story (Gemini & Apollo 13 feedback), but You folks can read everything in my upcoming article revealing all about the practical "60 seconds" bezel as requested by NASA astronauts... (Photo: NASA)

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50 years ago... on this date, NASA Speedmasters to NASM! On April 27, 1976 NASA informed the National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. of the availability of about 60 out of 97 Omega Speedmaster chronographs delivered to NASA. Then and now, these Omega watches were considered a collection with significant artefact value! Between April 1965 and December 1968, NASA received five deliveries of Omega Speedmaster chronographs, totalling 97 wrist watches. Taking the NASA tests survival Speedmaster in our count, the total becomes 100 Omega Speedmaster chronographs. Between 1965 and 1975, 71 (2 of NASA tests included) of these 100, were used in actual spaceflight missions (23 different 105.003, 38 different 105.012 and 10 different 145.012). MoonwatchUniverse celebrates this 50th anniversary with a full disclosure of the information available revealing the minute details of how NASA worked with the Omega Speedmaster chronographs, giving a pair to NASA Directors, indicating certain NASA numbers to half-a-dozen Speedies exclusively to be used in altitude chamber testing and preparing specific Speedies well in advance of upcoming spaceflight missions. Looking forward from the community triggering esoteric research! (Photo: MoonwatchUniverse) #321 #861 #astronaut #moonwatchuniverse #NASA #Speedmaster #Speedytuesday

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60 years ago, first Omega Speedmaster for Edwin Aldrin 1966, April 9 photo showing NASA astronauts Eugene "Gene" Cernan and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin during Gemini IX training. The Gemini IX mission (Thomas Stafford & Eugene Cernan) was announced on November 8, 1965 with James Lovell and Edwin Aldrin as backup crew. Wrist-watch-wise interesting as this is thusfar the earliest dated NASA photo showing Edwin Aldrin wearing a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster wrist chronograph. It looks like an Omega Speedmaster 105.003-64 on a stretch bracelet. (Photo: NASA S66-29526)

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Artemis II to lunar orbit, wrist-watch-wise While the Artemis II crew is on their return trip to Earth, thus far we have spotted at least a dozen wrist watches. Besides the officially NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster X-33 analog-digital wrist chronograph, a toolwatch used by NASA since 1998, other Omega Speedmaster chronographs flew onboard; a Speedmaster 3861 (Christina Koch) and a Speedmaster "Dark Side of the Moon" (Jeremy Hansen) all made it to the Far Side of the Moon. The astronauts also wore a 24 hours dial/movement Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute pilot chronograph and in the photo check their NASA ActiWatch sleep/awake monitor wrist device. (Photo: NASA)

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Artemis II on their way to fly around the Moon... TLI Trans-Lunar Injection burn was successfull and there might be a OTC Orbital Trajectory Correction burn but the spacecraft is heading to the Moon with a speed of 10000 Km/hour. NASA announced the " Artemis III " mission is going to be a testflight for the lunar lander in Low Earth Orbit comparable to Apollo 9 in March 1969. (photo: MoonwatchUniverse)

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Artemis II to lunar orbit ! Watching the countdown live stream and wondering if the 24 hours dial/movement Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute wrist chronographs will be worn besides the NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster X-33? 2026, March 29, pre-flight press conference in quarantine, as Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch clearly wore a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster X-33 and the latest version of the NASA ActiWatch, her male colleagues all three wore a 24 hours dial Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute chronograph. Anno 2026, several wrist watch brands are still working on reliable and robust wrist watches for future missions to the Moon and the planet Mars. 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 wrist watch as it instantly shows if mission control, and families on Earth are on AM or PM time. In this way the wrist watch will not only be a versatile backup timing device but also an accurate direct link to the home front! On May 24 1962, US Naval aviator Scott Carpenter was the first NASA astronaut to wear a wrist watch in space, a 24 hours dial Breitling Navitimer cosmonaute wrist chronograph. (Photo: NASA)

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70 years ago... Rolex Datejust Turn-O-Graph for the "Thunderbirds" Between 1956 and 1960, Rolex put the "supersonic" USAF air demonstration squadron, the "Thunderbirds" in the spotlights by awarding the pilots a Datejust Turn-O-Graph pilot watch. During 4 years, it looks like both the Steel & Gold Thunderbirds logo dial versions were awarded to the pilot as can be seen in the 1956 and 1958 Thunderbirds pilots group photos. Note William "Bill" Pogue, who later became a NASA astronaut and flew on the Skylab space station, mission SL-4. By 1964, the "Thunderbirds" flew the Republic F-105B Thunderchief but returned using the North American F-100D Super Sabre up to 1969. Although 1960s film footage shows the "Thunderbirds" still wearing Rolex Datejust pilot watches, it's hard to make out but these were no longer logo dial versions. In summary, USAF Thunderbirds logo dial pilot watch versions: 6605, 6609 & 1625. (Photos: USAF/AP/Rolex)



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March 8, 1966 last time we clearly saw the "Sigma 7" FOIS ? Mercury 7 astronaut US Navy aviator Walter "Wally" Schirra and his personal 1961 Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4, 17.650.054, worn during Sigma 7, used for SCUBA diving, bezelless since 1965, last seen on his wrist in 1966. Collage of a bespoke artwork for MoonwatchUniverse, LIFE photos of Schirra diving in his pool and Schirra at a handprint ceremony during the 1966 Gemini World Tour at the NASA Carnarvon tracking station near Perth - Australia. Between 22 February and March 1966, Walter Schirra and Frank Borman visited 8 countries during their 24 days long Far East Gemini Goodwill tour, visiting Australia between March 7 - 12. The Australians had rolled out two plum-colored Rolls-Royce convertibles procured for an earlier visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963. At Carnarvon, Schirra rolling up his sleeves clearly showed the bezelless Speedmaster CK2998-4. October 1966 onwards, as Schirra, Stafford and Lovell were awarded a US Navy logo dial Rolex GMT-master 1675 pilot watch, Schirra preferred to wear the Rolex GMT-master, also his Rolex Daytona 6240 and occasionally his Gold Apollo 11 tribute Speedmaster n° 8. Since 1994, MoonwatchUniverse has been working on a dozen "astronaut case studies" using official press & NASA photographs in order to find out when well-known NASA astronauts (Aldrin, Armstrong, Borman, Carpenter, Cernan, Collins, Lovell, Mitchell, Shepard, Schirra, Swigert, White) were introduced to the Omega Speedmaster and perhaps more interesting what they wore before those days during NASA training… (Photos: NASA/LIFE)

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Remembering Gordon "Gordo" Cooper March 6, 1927 was Cooper's birthday, who became a US Air Force pilot in 1949, attended test pilot school in 1956 and was selected a NASA astronaut in April 1959. In March 1963, Cooper was photographed wearing his personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 during NASA training. Besides Donald "Deke" Slayton and Walter "Wally" Schirra, Cooper was the third "Mercury 7" astronaut wearing an Omega Speedmaster CK2998. During MA-9 "Faith 7" (May 20, 1963) and Gemini V (August 21, 1965), Cooper wore a manual winding Omega Speedmaster wrist chronograph and a battery-powered tuning-fork movement Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch. Note , at the 20th anniversary of his "Faith 7" mission, USAF Colonel Gordo Cooper still wore an Omega Speedmaster wrist chronograph on a lightweight mesh steel Jacoby Bender Champion bracelet. (Photos: NASA/Newsweek)

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Remembering Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton March 1, 1924 was Slayton's birthday, who became a US Air Force pilot by April 1943, attended Test Pilot School in 1955 and became an astronaut in April 1959 as one of the original "Mercury 7". Slayton's Mercury mission would have been named "Delta 7" but unfortunately he was grounded for medical reasons for almost 10 years, regaining active flight status in March 1972. All those years Slayton had been chief of the Astronaut office, dealing with astronaut mission selection. In 1962, Deke Slayton was the first NASA astronaut wearing a personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998, soon afterwards Walter Schirra also got a Speedmaster CK2998 wrist chronograph, followed a year later by Gordo Cooper. As pilots & aviators, besides flying, the astronauts loved their flight jackets and wrist watches and gave feedback on the Omega Speedmaster in December 1966 and May 1970. During Gemini, half-a-dozen astronauts used their NASA-issued Speedmaster without the Tachymètre bezel and even flew in space wearing a bezelless Speedmaster. ASTP DMP Docking Module Pilot Donald "Deke" Slayton didn't seem to care much about the Tachymètre bezel, not in 1963, nor in 1974... although we must admit on the softer Gold case the metal bezel was more prone to pop off anyway. In fact over his whole career, Slayton mostly wore the Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch but in later life, 1973-1993, he prefered the Gold Omega Speedmaster BA 145.022-69 (n° 27). (Photos: NASA)

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Remember these ? 45 years ago... Tempus Fugit Omega decided to start a new marketing campaign about the Speedmaster chronograph with the title:

Omega Speedmaster Professional. Now in the Space Shuttle.

By November 1978, Omega had delivered a new batch of 56 Omega Speedmaster chronographs to NASA, radial dial Alaska Project III versions but the campaign would focus on the regular Omega Speedmaster for the general public. As a young lad, I was pleasantly surprised that Omega got permission to use the official logo of the upcoming space shuttle Columbia STS-1 mission as they added a Speedmaster beneath the colorful STS-1 mission logo. The STS-1 logo which was designed by famous space art virtuoso Robert McCall in February 1979 and appeared as a NASA photograph in March 1979. Interesting to note Young & Crippen first wore the logo as stickers even during Columbia roll-out ceremony December 20, 1980. The actual STS-1 mission logo cloth patches were worn in January 1981 during Emergency Escape System testing which was also the first time the crew had been on the Launch Complex LC-39 Pad with "Columbia" in place! The campaign remarked that the Omega Speedmaster chronograph was the only piece of equipment used during all US manned space programmes since the dawn of the Space Age! (Photo: Moonwatchuniverse)