Is That Really Only Speedy Can Wear In The Moon?

[armypilot]

Originally Posted by Earl Camembert

There were more timing devices on the lunar missions then the watches on Astronaut's wrists.

1969
An Accutron watch movement is part of the equipment placed on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts, the first men on the moon. A Bulova timer is placed in the moon’s Sea of Tranquility to control the transmissions of vital data through the years.

1973
Three specially designed Accutron portable alarm clocks are placed on board NASA’s Skylab, the world’s first space laboratory, launched from Cape Kennedy.


Side note 1970
The Bulova Accuquartz men’s calendar wristwatch becomes the first quartz-crystal watch sold at retail in the United States. Made of 18-karat gold, it retails for $1,325 ($7,267 in 2007 dollars). If the Rolex DD kept pace with inflation in 1970 it would have cost $4,073 ($22,400 in 2007 dollars). This was the beginning of the dark years for high end mechanical watches.

About a year later I bought a Seiko quartz watch for nearly $400 ($2,000 in 2007 dollars) if I recall. I still have the watch but the LCD has long died.

Earl, you are absolutely right, but all of them remained in a controlled pressurized environment. The Speedmaster Professional was, and is still the only time keeping device that is authorized by NASA to be exposed to the vacuum of space. I know a little bit about NASA and the subject of its watches. Here is a picture of me in 1995.