A Challenger Flown Radial Dial Speedmaster Out in the Wild? Maybe So...

After my recent encounter with the flown 8 million mile Radial Dial Speedmaster I decided to take a closer at this reference and try to locate a few more images to document its use during the early Shuttle days. Admittedly, when I first became aware of this reference it had zero appeal to me, that's until I strapped one on my wrist and now I'm a convert. I believe this is truly one of the most stunning and unique references ever produced.

While new information about its use has come to light during the past few years the images out there have mostly been confined to pictures taken for auctions along with a few grainy images from early Shuttle flights when it was first flown.

That said, the new images I have located has led me back to a post I originally made at TimeZone back in 2011 and it has me asking the question "Is there a Challenger flown radial dial Speedmaster out in the wild?" After looking at the new images, I think the answer is...Yes.

Here is the post I made back in 2011 at TimeZone after an encounter traveling through the airport in Chicago.



For easier reading here it is...

October 6, 2011

I handled a Space Shuttle flown Speedmaster...And not just any one.

Today I had a brush with Omega space flight history.

Always spying for watches I had a great watch encounter this morning. I was in the Chicago airport today when I spotted a beat up Omega Speedmaster on the wrist of the gentleman standing next to me waiting at the baggage carrier. I mentioned to him that it was a nice Speedy he was wearing. A bit surprised, he looked at my wrist where he notice the one I was wearing. He asked if I had an interest in watches. When I told him yes, he told me the story of how he acquired his Speedmaster.

The gentleman was a retired NASA engineer that worked on the Space Shuttle during the late 70's and early 80's. He said that he was a watch enthusiast himself back in the day. After the flight of STS-41C he mentioned to his good friend Dick Scobee, the pilot of the mission, that he loved the Speedmaster that he was wearing. Being the good friend, Mr. Scobee promptly took it off and gave it to the gentleman I was standing next to. He had worn the watch on his first shuttle flight. The gentleman asked if I was familiar with Mr. Scobee, and I said yes. I knew Mr. Dick Scobee was the Commander of the ill fated Challenger flight a few years later. We talked a few more minutes as we waited for our bags then he asked if I would like to take a closer look at it. He slid it off his wrist and let me hold the watch and look it over. I have to admit a certain chill ran through me as I held it.

Anyway, just the story of the day for me.

Here are the new images I found of Dick Scobee flying his first mission as Pilot on STS-41C wearing the Radial Dial Speedmaster on his right wrist. For additional information, in the other image I have he is wearing a black plastic LCD watch on his left wrist.



Here is a close-up of the dial where you can clearly see the distinct Radial Dial.



So if the watch that Dick Scobee wore on his first mission STS-41C is the same watch the NASA engineer was wearing that day, then the watch would have to have been the flown Radial Dial Speedmaster seen in the pictures.

I admittedly do not recall what the dial looked like and this was 2011 well before the information we have now about the reference was widely known, but I think these pictures answer my question...Yes, there is a Radial Dial Speedmater out there in the wild owned by the NASA engineer friend of Dick Scobee.

Lastly, I ask, before this gets out of hand with all the questions about how could the engineer have the watch or how could Dick Socbee even give it to him if it was a NASA watch, I'll leave you with this quote from the astronaut who I recently got together with to discuss these very watches. He said "Back then you just went in and picked up a watch or two, they handed them out like candy on Halloween."

Here are some additional new images of the Radial Dial Speedmaster in use. I figure this is just as good a place to share them.

Watch on unidentified STS-41C astronaut most likely a Mission Specialist with Dick Scobee in the Pilot seat.



STS-2 Pilot Richard Truly, the only astronaut to tell me he didn't wear a Speedmaster when he clearly did.



Finally, this one just warms my heart. STS-5 Commander Vance Brand wearing the Radial Dial Speedmaster on my favorite JB Champion bracelet.

A great story and a nice continuation of your earlier thread...thanks for posting! 👍

Quote
"Back then you just went in and picked up a watch or two, they handed them out like candy on Halloween."
End quote
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Here's an image of Sultan Salman al-Saud wearing 2 radial dial Speedmaster Alaska III chronographs aboard shuttle Discovery during STS-51G in June 1985.
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On this forum, I believe we have established that the radial dial Alaska III chronographs were worn from STS-2 (November 1981) to STS-65 (July 1994)... I recall NASA got 56 pieces? Makes one wonder where all these NASA-issued radial dial Speedmaster chronographs ended up?

Here's a detail of another STS-05 NASA photo showing commander Vance Brand's NASA-issued radial dial Alaska III Speedmaster on a steel mesh JB Champion bracelet (November 1982)...

Missed this thread back in September! Awesome information and great pictures. I didn't realize until I saw the picture above that Dick Scobee was an alumni of the University of Arizona. He would have been there around the same time as my dad.

Ad Astra Richard Truly…
On February 27, 2024, US Navy Vice-Admiral & NASA astronaut Richard “Dick” Truly passed away aged 86. In 1965, Truly was among the first military astronauts selected to the MOL space station program. In 1969 he joined NASA astronaut group 7 and acted as CapCom on the 1973 Skylab and 1975 ASTP missions, before flying in space on shuttle missions STS-2 and STS-8.
Between May 1989 and May 1992, Truly was the first former NASA astronaut to head the American space agency. For his service to the United States' efforts in space Truly was awarded two NASA distinguished service medals, the NASA outstanding leadership medal, two NASA exceptional service medals and two NASA space flight medals.
This November 1981 photo shows Richard Truly onboard space shuttle Columbia mission STS-2, the first crew to wear the NASA-issued Omega Alaska Project III “radial dial” Speedmaster chronograph.
(Photo: NASA)
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