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SpeedyPhill
·1965, September 20 saw the announcement of the Gemini VIII crew, Neil Armstrong & David Scott, with backup Charles Conrad & Richard Gordon
1966, March 16 ... the mission was shortened after docking with the Agena went "bezurk", splash-down after 10 Hours 41 minutes...
Gemini VIII Wrist-watch-wise:
Neil Armstrong, selected in NASA group 2, September 1962, received his first NASA-issued Speedmaster in July 1965 as Gemini V backup
David Scott, selected in NASA group 3, October 1963, received his first NASA-issued Speedmaster in January 1966 as Gemini VIII pilot.
During the Gemini VIII spaceflight mission, besides his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-64, Neil Armstrong decided to wear an extra wrist watch to honor his childhood hero, the aviator James "Jimmie" Mattern (1905-1988).
(three years later during Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong carried one of the Flight Log books of James Mattern in the LM "Eagle").
☕
There're at least half-a-dozen NASA photos which clearly show the two-tone dial Longines Lindberg Hour-angle aviator watch strapped over Armstrong's right forearm. Here's an overview of NASA photo-numbers:
66H-297, 66H-294 (S66-24447), 66H-310 (S66-24469), 66H-309 (S66-24468), 66H-306 (S66-24463), 66H-304 (S66-24461) and the well-known splash-down photo of the open Gemini capsule floating besides the USS Destroyer Mason , 66H-322 (S66-18602).
Certainly NASA archives must have clear suit-up photographs taken in the trailer near Launch Complex 19, showing Neil Armstrong getting the Longines aviator wrist watch put over his right forearm...
Anyway, the walk-out photo to complex 19 clearly show the two-tone dial of the Longines which was smaller than the Speedmaster on his lefthand wrist.
☕
As the Gemini VIII astronauts donned their suits, a watch belonging to aviation pioneer Jimmy Mattern was strapped around Neil Armstrong’s wrist, and pieces of wood and cloth from an old Douglas World Cruiser, the New Orleans, were packed with David Scott’s personal effects.
Both were on loan from the museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
☕
We are 100% sure this was a Longines aviator wrist watch as in post-flight interviews, the journalists made sure to mention that the James Mattern's old wrist watch was still keeping good time. James Mattern later acknowledged this was " a Lindbergh aviator watch for global flying times "...
So where is this space-flown watch today?
In 2024, I was amazed to hear via the JamesMattern website that the Gemini VIII space-flown big crown aviator watch whereabouts were unknown...
Untill today !
...
☕
In an age of AI-generated images it's hugely important to fact check and to add official NASA photonumbers, which state place & date taken.
(idem dito for IWM photo numbers when discussing military topics)
Yes, it's already 60 years ago, and we contacted the watch brand but at the Omegaforums.net it started here:
1966, March 16 ... the mission was shortened after docking with the Agena went "bezurk", splash-down after 10 Hours 41 minutes...
Gemini VIII Wrist-watch-wise:
Neil Armstrong, selected in NASA group 2, September 1962, received his first NASA-issued Speedmaster in July 1965 as Gemini V backup
David Scott, selected in NASA group 3, October 1963, received his first NASA-issued Speedmaster in January 1966 as Gemini VIII pilot.
During the Gemini VIII spaceflight mission, besides his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-64, Neil Armstrong decided to wear an extra wrist watch to honor his childhood hero, the aviator James "Jimmie" Mattern (1905-1988).
(three years later during Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong carried one of the Flight Log books of James Mattern in the LM "Eagle").
☕
There're at least half-a-dozen NASA photos which clearly show the two-tone dial Longines Lindberg Hour-angle aviator watch strapped over Armstrong's right forearm. Here's an overview of NASA photo-numbers:
66H-297, 66H-294 (S66-24447), 66H-310 (S66-24469), 66H-309 (S66-24468), 66H-306 (S66-24463), 66H-304 (S66-24461) and the well-known splash-down photo of the open Gemini capsule floating besides the USS Destroyer Mason , 66H-322 (S66-18602).
Certainly NASA archives must have clear suit-up photographs taken in the trailer near Launch Complex 19, showing Neil Armstrong getting the Longines aviator wrist watch put over his right forearm...
Anyway, the walk-out photo to complex 19 clearly show the two-tone dial of the Longines which was smaller than the Speedmaster on his lefthand wrist.
As the Gemini VIII astronauts donned their suits, a watch belonging to aviation pioneer Jimmy Mattern was strapped around Neil Armstrong’s wrist, and pieces of wood and cloth from an old Douglas World Cruiser, the New Orleans, were packed with David Scott’s personal effects.
Both were on loan from the museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
☕
We are 100% sure this was a Longines aviator wrist watch as in post-flight interviews, the journalists made sure to mention that the James Mattern's old wrist watch was still keeping good time. James Mattern later acknowledged this was " a Lindbergh aviator watch for global flying times "...
So where is this space-flown watch today?
In 2024, I was amazed to hear via the JamesMattern website that the Gemini VIII space-flown big crown aviator watch whereabouts were unknown...
Untill today !
...
☕
In an age of AI-generated images it's hugely important to fact check and to add official NASA photonumbers, which state place & date taken.
(idem dito for IWM photo numbers when discussing military topics)
Yes, it's already 60 years ago, and we contacted the watch brand but at the Omegaforums.net it started here:
Edited:
