Want to see a real astronaut's watch?

SpeedyPhill · Oct 19, 2019

Does anyone have a photo of Glenn wearing the Breitling ?

TLIGuy · Oct 19, 2019

SpeedyPhill
Does anyone have a photo of Glenn wearing the Breitling ?

You may want to look at the article @Jeff Stein linked to from his site.

The image he posted is the only one I have ever seen of Glenn wearing what appears to be the Breitling. The full image was first published on page 39 of the Mercury and Gemini Missions Spaceshots and Snapshots book.

jsducote · Oct 19, 2019

Walrus
Anyone know the story why they are being sold? I assume his family doesn’t need the money. We’re they acquired by others over the years?

Based on Matthew's post above, I assume they're not with the family anymore.

Jeff Stein · Oct 20, 2019

jsducote
Based on Matthew's post above, I assume they're not with the family anymore.

John Glenn family sold off approximately 10 of John Glenn's watches in an estate sale, March 2018. The two being flipped on the Phillips auction -- Cosmonaute and Lucky 13 LeCoultre -- were in this estate sale.

_HONDO_ · May 27, 2020

Although not the same as either this LeCoultre or the Quartermaster... it is very similar. The Wakmann “Quartermaster” from the same time period makes you wonder where the inspiration came from and who made it first.

Jeff Stein · May 27, 2020

Yes, I would love to learn more about these Wakmanns. I have admired them from a distance, but never dug into the history. Wakmann was a distributor, rather than a producer, so you have to wonder whether LeCoultre had a hand in making these?

_HONDO_ · May 27, 2020

Jeff Stein
Yes, I would love to learn more about these Wakmanns. I have admired them from a distance, but never dug into the history. Wakmann was a distributor, rather than a producer, so you have to wonder whether LeCoultre had a hand in making these?

Thanks for the info on the “distributor” bit, I did not realize that.
All I know (please correct me if I’m wrong) is they were housed in a Lemania case, Lemania movement with the Breitling import code WOG. I would love to find out how many were produced- but I’m somewhat new to collecting... wouldn’t even know where to begin.

gatorcpa · May 28, 2020

Looks like a movement from this Lemania family:

http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&2&2uswk&Lemania_3540

The Wakmann would have been a competitor to the LeCoultre Quartermaster.
gatorcpa

Jeff Stein · May 28, 2020

so who has the three of these watches? That's an interesting photo. I have a couple of the LeCoultre Quartermasters . . . would be fun to add one of these.

Northernman · May 28, 2020

gatorcpa
Looks like a movement from this Lemania family:

http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&2&2uswk&Lemania_3540

The Wakmann would have been a competitor to the LeCoultre Quartermaster.
gatorcpa

Lemania cal 3060.
It seems Wakmann had a thing with 24h variants.
Here’s one from my collection.

_HONDO_ · Oct 24, 2020

Jeff Stein
so who has the three of these watches? That's an interesting photo. I have a couple of the LeCoultre Quartermasters . . . would be fun to add one of these.

Hey Jeff, I am the owner of all three. I would be happy to let one go if you are still interested. Im not on the forums as often as I would like so you can reach me through instagram high.class.vintage , or just message me here and I will try to pay more attention. Thanks.

SpeedyPhill · Feb 12, 2021

1962 - 2022 will see the 60th anniversary of the Friendship 7 orbital spaceflight of John H. Glenn
About time we can make sure if John Glenn took an extra wrsitwatch... remember he had a LeCoultre 24 Hrs dial wristwatch " Quartermaster "
During the 4 hours 55 minutes mission, John Glenn wore a large Heuer 2915a stopwatch as a backup timer... strapped over his right forearm
However, once cleaned up onboard US Navy Destroyer USS-Noa, about 4 hours after recovery, astronaut Glenn showed this wristwatch to press photographers and phrased " On Time, All The Way " ...
MoonwatchUniverse is looking into it, but what do You think... Glenn's 24 Hrs dial LeCoultre had a black dial...
👎
.

gatorcpa · Feb 12, 2021

SpeedyPhill
About time we can make sure if John Glenn took an extra wrsitwatch... remember he had a LeCoultre 24 Hrs dial wristwatch " Quartermaster "

Please see first post in this thread. The watch was a 24-hour watch, but did not have the same case or dial as the Quartermaster model. I do not know if movement was the same either.

Like the 13 o’clock LeCoultre, I think there is a story behind these watches. We just don’t know what it is.
gatorcpa

SpeedyPhill · Feb 12, 2021

I know the watch was based on the Quartermaster and that most of John Glenn's watches were SOLD at PHILLIPS auction in 2019...
However, it surely looks like John Glenn took a LeCoultre wristwatch up in space during US' first orbital spaceflight in 1962...
Glenn had at least 4 LeCoultre wristwatches, a black 24 Hrs dial version, a gray dial version and later on a white dial "Lucky 13" and a Gold version
☕
We're onto something as Mercury astronauts did take some personal mementos & charms with them in the little capsule... moreover the LeCoultre wristwatch can be seen at Glenn's wrist onboard US Navy destroyer USS Noa and on USS Randolph.
There're also clear color photos of Glenn wearing the LeCoultre wristwatch during post-flight medical check at Grand Turk island !

Jeff Stein · Feb 12, 2021

Very interesting to see this discussion . . . almost 60 years later, and we are still trying to solve these mysteries!!
Jeff

SpeedyPhill · Feb 12, 2021

I'm developing a photo story at MoonwatchUniverse : https://moonwatchuniverse.tumblr.com/archive
📖

SpeedyPhill · Feb 14, 2021

Update, as discussed with Jeff Stein, that inexpensive wristwatch shown by Glenn to photographes was part of a US Navy / NASA post-recovery kit, as confirmed by several NASA SP-books - page 45 "Results of the First United States Manned Orbital Space Flight, February 20, 1962"
📖
So question answered with a very plausible and the most likely conclusion !
Otherwise an interesting story and a great February 1962 post-flight photo of astronaut John Glenn... for next year's 60th anniversary posts !

Jeff Stein · Feb 14, 2021

Here is the page of the report, "Results of the First United States Manned Orbital Space Flight, February 20, 1962", showing that a "wrist watch" was included as part of the "Postrecovery Kit" for John Glenn; we can assume that there were 24 of these kits, one on each of the 24 recovery ships, spread around the globe. Must expect that these would have been inexpensive watches, as Glenn would have only worn the watch for a few days and NASA would have been shopping for 24 of them. .

imfagent449 · Feb 14, 2021

I remember when I was younger there was a Breitling with a 24 hour dial. It always seemed so cool and yet I couldn't easily read the time. I actually had to read it off like when I was learning to read the time.

I wonder if the Rolex GMT was the first watch with a traditional three hand layout that also contained a 24 hour indication.

The sizes of the watches compared to today are also interesting to note.

SpeedyPhill · Feb 15, 2021

imfagent449
I remember when I was younger there was a Breitling with a 24 hour dial. It always seemed so cool and yet I couldn't easily read the time. I actually had to read it off like when I was learning to read the time.

I wonder if the Rolex GMT was the first watch with a traditional three hand layout that also contained a 24 hour indication.

The sizes of the watches compared to today are also interesting to note.

👎
By 1953, there was the Glycine Airman GMT watch with 24 Hrs dial... as worn by Charles Pete Conrad on Gemini V and Gemini XI
In fact the Glycine Airman pilot watch is one of only 6 watchmakes to be directly exposed to outer space as during Gemini XI's spacewalk by Richard Gordon, astronaut Pete Conrad also sat exposed in the open design Gemini capsule !