Amateur-sleuths, -researchers and die-hard Speedmaster fans #AskOmega

A tribute post to all those forum-members who investigated particular details about specific Speedmaster versions (e.g. Apollo-Soyuz or LCDspeedmaster), Speedmaster details, documentation and Speedmaster history facts & figures.
Can we use Omegaforums to post our questions, which some of us already have for 25 years+ ?
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Although some are "basic", others "difficult", again some are "delicate" and might not get answered due to the geopolitical situation with Russia
(e.g. ex-Alaska II use on Soviet Salyut-6 space station in 1977-78) or whatever marketing reasons (revealing details on the use of X-33 in scientific experiments)... my notebook full of handwritten info almost comes apart, so I'll put some work in typing my detailed questions out... sharing with enthusiasts & sleuths.
#MoonwatchUniverse #AskOmega
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O.K. I will see if moderators will allow these posts, so here's my first question ( 1 of 5 for MoonwatchUniverse ):
Easy to remember, Mercury 7 astronauts and there were 7 versions of the Speedmaster CK2998
#AskOmega
Basic question
Which was the exact reference worn by Mercury astronauts Walter Schirra, Gordon Cooper and Thomas Stafford: CK2998-4 ?
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So far so good... here's my second question ( 2 of 5 for MoonwatchUniverse ):
#AskOmega
Basic question
Summary: Between Oktober 1964 and April 1968, Omega delivered 97 Speedmaster chronographs to NASA (20 were 105.003 versions without crown guards). Distribution details of Gemini-era Speedmaster chronographs with their NASA numbers.
In detail:
Some of us have been doing the NASA Speedmaster puzzle since the 1980s, and here are my figures (NOT yet acknowledged by Omega):
Oktober 1964 - March 1965: James Ragan tested different watch brands and the Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 came out as the winner, sole survivor of 11 tests). I believe 4 Speedmaster chronographs were delivered to NASA for these tests.
March 1965: NASA gives a Speedmaster to John Young & Virgil Grissom, who wore it during the Gemini III mission (besides an Accutron Astronaut tuning fork pilot watch).
Gemini III backup Thomas Stafford was also given a Speedmaster as Walter Schirra already had his own CK2998-4 Speedmaster.
April 23, 1965: NASA received a first batch of 17 Speedmaster 105.003 chronographs for the Gemini project. Remember 16 astronauts would actually flew on Gemini missions!
June 1965: NASA Gemini program office issued its Letter of Certification on June 1, 1965. Later casebacks state "Qualified"...
June 3, 1965: Gemini IV astronauts McDivitt and White each wear 2 NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs (4 on IV).
January 1966: NASA received 1st batch of Speedmaster 105.012
April 1967: NASA received a 2nd batch of Speedmaster 105.012
April 1968: NASA received a 3rd batch of Speedmaster 105.012
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Can we get a detailed overview of each batch with the NASA numbers worn during each Gemini mission?
(e.g. Gemini IX Stafford 105.003 NASA #27, Cernan 105.003 #28)
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#AskOmega
Basic question
Summary: November 25, 1969 during a “Astronaut Appreciation VIP dinner, NASA astronauts who already flew a spaceflight mission were awarded a Gold Speedmaster chronograph.
In detail:
During the Astronaut Appreciation VIP dinner at the Warwick Hotel in Houston Texas, Chief astronaut Donald Slayton and 23 astronauts received a Gold Speedmaster BA 145.022 chronograph. The Apollo 1 astronauts were also awarded such a Gold Speedmaster posthumously.
At that event 26 astronauts were listed, together with n° 1 & 2 reserved for POTUS Richard Nixon and vicePOTUS Spiro Agnew.
A total of 1014 were made, 8 astronauts who flew an Apollo lunar mission between 1970 and 1972 later received theirs. Except Apollo 13 crew members Jack Swigert & Fred haise?
Most numbers are known, (33 to 1000 = general public sale) but still missing #29 to #32 and later numbers #1009 to #1014.
Missing numbers might have been awarded to NASA administrators (James Webb, Thomas Paine, George Low, James Fletcher) or NASA engineers (Julian Allen, Maxim Faget, John Houbolt or Wernher von Braun) while #1009 to #1014 might have gone to Omega officials?
Can Omega share the complete listing of Gold BA 145.022 Speedmaster chronographs?
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☕ Here's my fourth question ( 4 of 5 for MoonwatchUniverse ):
#AskOmega
Difficult question
Did any the Apollo astronauts ever got to see the Alaska project Speedmaster with red outer case designed for use on the Lunar Roving Vehicle "Moon buggy"?
In detail:
The longer stay & more scientific Apollo J-missions used a Lunar Rover allowing both Moonwalkers to explore a larger portion of the lunar landscape.
However, Apollo 20 was cancelled in January 1970, with a further cancellation of Apollo 18 & 19 in September 1970. No crews were officially assigned to the cancelled Apollo lunar missions but astronaut assignments for the last Apollo lunar missions were changed.
Both Apollo 15, announced March 26, 1970, Apollo 16, announced March 3, 1971 trained according to the usual crew assignments but Apollo 17, announced August 13, 1971 was another story as Harrison Schmitt became the assigned LMP/geologist for the December 1972 mission.
Although the Alaska Project Speedmaster (aka the ultimate space watch) was produced in 1970, we have never seen NASA photos showing Apollo astronauts using those red outer case chronographs. The Alaska II Project dated 1972 and came too late for Apollo lunar missions, although it got into the Russian space program to be used on their new Salyut-6 space station and Orlan space suit!
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A good question, some well-known documents on NASA-spaceflown Speedmaster chronographs dated 1976.
But 5 years ago these were deleted from most online sources under the guise of " containing errors " 😕
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☕ Here's my fifth question ( 5 of 5 for MoonwatchUniverse ):
#AskOmega
Delicate question (no details given although I have great photographs)
Overview of official astronaut & cosmonaut delegation visits to Omega HQ in Bienne Switzerland.
Those who have read my " Time Peace " article know what I mean, and hopefully by 2025 we can eleborate on it ( 50 years ASTP ) as although we live in geopolitcal stressy situation/times, the Omega Speedmaster keeps writing history with the August 17, 2022 EVA of the X-33 !
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#NASA #Roscosmos

On the subject of space-flown Speedmaster chronographs I have had e-mail contact with NASM, Omega, NASA (astronauts) and even with some Russian sources. Written on the subject since 1999 for monthly aerospace magazines.
I realise it's esoteric research in a world where anno 2022 ( 60 years Omega Speedmaster in space), wristwatch shots on Instagram have become more important than a decent article with historic facts commemorating Speedmaster chronographs' use in spaceflight. 🙁
I pity any students who would ever consider a doctoral research degree (PhD) on the subject... who'll have to understand marketing strategy plays an important role.
Looking forward to learn more during any of the upcoming anniversaries, as there're many to choose from;
60 years Omega in space
50 years Apollo 17
175 years Omega
50 years Skylab
50 years Apollo-Soyuz
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#AskOmega
Well I did ... their answer:
We know very well and since long the next milestones. We have a very precise strategy and I am looking forward surprising you or your colleagues!

Meanwhile... what are spacefarers towards the ISS wearing at their wrists !
March 18, 2022 during the Soyuz MS21 walkout we spotted large "gold-colored" watches with white dial. Some of us even mentioned these could be the new plastic MoonSwatch Speedmaster versions... but not at all as the MS21 crew even didn't wear manual winding Speedmaster !

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Again, 2022 September 21 for the Soyuz MS22 crew, no manual winding Speedmaster chronographs...

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Last time we saw manual winding Speedmaster chronographs strapped over the Sokol space suit was during Soyuz MS20 in December 2021.
#AskOmega
Will Omega mention anything about this during the September 27 #SpeedyTuesday event ?
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Just a bump hoping to get a complete overview of the exact delivery dates and the numbers and versions of Speedmaster delivered to NASA between April 1965 an December 1968...
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Note the pencil 105.003-63 written at the top as only a couple of years ago Omega HQ expressly confirmed that the Oktober 1964 - April 1965 NASA-tested Speedmaster chronographs were 105.003-63 (two of those early versions flew on Gemini III)
Always believed these were 1964 and that's how my 20 years old Edward White scale model ended up with 105.003-64
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@M'Bob
Which reference comprised the greatest number of Speedmasters delivered to NASA.
Interesting question, on the whole between 1962 & 2022, I believe most were Speedmaster X-33 versions...
The 1978 "radial dial" Alaska III has been used between STS-2 (November 1981) and STS-73 (November 1995), with a first batch of 56 delivered in 1978 and one or two batches in the mid 1980s
During the Gemini-Apollo-Skylab period, the Speedmaster 105.012 was the most used reference

Another #AskOmega
Were NASA-issued Speedmaster 105.003 most worn with horned versus straight ends on the JB Champion mesh bracelet?
During Mercury both Schirra and Cooper wore a personal Speedmaster CK2998 on straight ends Forstner mesh bracelet
IMHO, Speedmaster 105.003 during the early Gemini period, on straight ends steel mesh bracelet:
(Photos: NASA)
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Apollo era examples of NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003 chronographs on straight end steel mesh bracelets:
(Photos: NASA) 👍 #MoonwatchUniverse
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Another question I received:
When was the first Cal 861 Speedmaster flown in space ?
IMHO the first space-flown 861 movement Speedmaster was a bezelless chronograph attached to the Heat Flow Experiment onboard Apollo 17 Command & Service Module "America" in December 1972.
A similar experiment was flown onboard Apollo 14 CSM "Kitty Hawk" in January 1971 but I have no details on the Speedmaster used on that experiment set-up
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The Apollo 17 Heat Flow Exp Speedmaster 861 was sold in December 2015 at Christie's "Omega Speedmaster 50" auction in fetching 245000 US Dollar... it went to the Omega Museum !
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In fact on the same Apollo 17 mission, CMP Ronald Evans (who stayed in orbit around the Moon and made a deep-space EVA on the way back to Earth) wore two Speedmaster chronographs: NASA-issued n° 61 and a personal Speedmaster which could have been an early 1968 Speedmaster 145.022 (861).
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On the Russian side, I believe the first space-flown Speedmaster 861 chronograph was worn by cosmonaut Anatoli Filipchenko onboard the Soyuz-16 mission in December 1974.

Another #AskOmega
When exactly did Omega SA started to use spaceflight images in their advertising campaigns?
Well, the story goes Omega saw "their chronographs" being used by NASA astronauts when looking at the June 18, 1965 LIFE magazine with an elaborate article and NASA color photos of the Gemini IV spacewalk by astronaut Edward White.
The oldest brochure I have, dates 1967 and has an interesting "Omega artwork" on the cover, depicting Edward White during his June 1965 spacewalk. However the "Omega artwork" on the cover only shows a single Speedmaster on his wrist while both Gemini IV astronauts each wore two NASA-issued Speedmaster chronographs... So 1967 would be my " best guess ".
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LIFE magazine June 18, 1965

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Omega trinkets & booklets, 1967 brochure at lower left

Another #AskOmega
Colonel Pogue, when asked about wearing his Seiko on take off for the Skylab mission, said that he had it in a pouch as it was forbidden for safety reasons to wear anything on the wrist which may impede the full and free movement of the glove assembly.
Why would that not have applied on any of the other Apollo missions ?
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In the early Mercury and Gemini flights, we saw astronauts wearing the Omega Speedmaster directly on the wrist.
From Gemini IV onwards, we see wrist watches (e.g. Speedmaster, Accutron Astronaut, Glycine Airman & others) were usually worn above the space suit glove attachment ring. Or even even higher up strapped over the forearm.
David Scott on Gemini VIII seemed an exception ( see photo), while on Gemini X Michael Collins was the first to wear a wrist watch underneath the space suit.
During the Apollo program, the watches were worn away from the space suit glove attachment ring but astronauts started to wear personal watches underneath the space suit (Apollo 13, 14 and 17) and by 1972 Skylab program, NASA probably became more strict.
Skylab astronauts wore modified A7LB spacesuits, which could be outfitted with an Oxygen pressure control unit for spacewalks. Naturally, in the worse case, a wrist watch worn near the space suit glove ring could restrict movement.
Remember on Skylab-4 both Gerald Carr (Movado Datachron HS-360) and William Pogue (Seiko 6139-6005) took the very first automatic chronographs with them. On launchday, they took these in their space suit (Pogue in a lower leg pocket while Carr described he wore the Movado around his angle sock). It looks like NASA didn't allow an extra watch over the Skylab space suit.
Modern day spacewalkers using the American EMU are not allowed to wear any jewelry over or under their Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment underwear, while we know the Russians have been taking personal items in their Orlan space suit underwear.
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Gemini VIII pilot David Scott was the last astronaut to wear his NASA-issued Speedmaster directly over the smallest portion of his wrist.
Note Armstrong wore both the Speedmaster and the Longines Wittnauer Weems pilot watch on velcro above the space suit glove attachment ring.
(Photo: NASA)
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Gerald Carr describing how he took his personal Movado Datachron HS-360 automatic chronograph underneath his Skylab EMU space suit.
(Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story - 2008 book)
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William Pogue wearing the Seiko 6139 during Skylab training.