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JG808
路Great post and beautiful GMT!
Astronauts wore Rolex GMT's and not just Speedmasters. Say it isn't so...
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BASE1000
路馃憤 very nice gilt dial with luminous on hands and dial in very beautiful condition!
And what the Russians wore later on:
And what the Russians wore later on:
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Canuck
路Would an automatic winder (GMT) actually wind itself in a weightless environment? Anyone know?
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proximal
路Would an automatic winder (GMT) actually wind itself in a weightless environment? Anyone know?
There are plenty of automatic watches that have been used in space. I know the Seiko 6139 cannot be handwound so the rotor must work without issue.
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SpeedyPhill
路At least 3 Rolex watches made it to the lunar surface, and minimum 2 Rolex watches were worn during a lunar EVA under the space suit garment 馃
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Watchmutt
路Thanks for posting this. I've been too focused on Omegas of late, so you reminded me of the other interesting watches that have been in space. Now I may need to expand the collection 馃摉
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SpeedyPhill
路It's February again ... a time when the Apollo (14) Astronauts and their Rolex watches story / claim revives 馃憥
Here're my thoughts:
Apollo astronauts could carry personal items in a small beta cloth (fireproof) PPK-bag = Personal Preference Kit, later APK = Astronaut Preference Kit. Some of these were stored in the Command & Service Module (CSM), other hung in the Lunar Module (LM). The latter descended to the lunar surface and the items were #LunarModuleFlown
However these bags were limited to a weight of 250 grams, so sometimes 2 bags were flown per astronaut, and in one of these aboard LM "Challenger" Apollo 17 CMP Ron Evans kept a personal Rolex GMT-master that descended to the Taurus-Littrow region on the Moon in December 1972. This wristwatch was auctioned in October 2009...
For Apollo 14 the story is easier, as LMP Edgar Mitchell's extra Rolex wristwatches are seen in at least a dozen photographs, prelaunch, aboard CSM "Kitty Hawk" and later in the Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard recovery ship USS New Orleans.
The limited weight to be taken in a PPK might have been the reason why Edgar Mitchell choose to strap the watches on his wrists... as one of the Apollo 14 Moonwalkers, it would have been easy to take these down in LM "Antares" to the FraMauro region on the Moon...
Although no footage nor photos exist to support this claim for 100%
Here're my thoughts:
Apollo astronauts could carry personal items in a small beta cloth (fireproof) PPK-bag = Personal Preference Kit, later APK = Astronaut Preference Kit. Some of these were stored in the Command & Service Module (CSM), other hung in the Lunar Module (LM). The latter descended to the lunar surface and the items were #LunarModuleFlown
However these bags were limited to a weight of 250 grams, so sometimes 2 bags were flown per astronaut, and in one of these aboard LM "Challenger" Apollo 17 CMP Ron Evans kept a personal Rolex GMT-master that descended to the Taurus-Littrow region on the Moon in December 1972. This wristwatch was auctioned in October 2009...
For Apollo 14 the story is easier, as LMP Edgar Mitchell's extra Rolex wristwatches are seen in at least a dozen photographs, prelaunch, aboard CSM "Kitty Hawk" and later in the Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard recovery ship USS New Orleans.
The limited weight to be taken in a PPK might have been the reason why Edgar Mitchell choose to strap the watches on his wrists... as one of the Apollo 14 Moonwalkers, it would have been easy to take these down in LM "Antares" to the FraMauro region on the Moon...
Although no footage nor photos exist to support this claim for 100%
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STANDY
路路schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collectorAlthough no footage nor photos exist to support this claim for 100%
You know the rules " pic,s or it didn't happen " 馃槈
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SpeedyPhill
路Indeed, none are available showing the extra watches during lunar descent, lunar EVA and lunar ascent.
For other pictures I refer to Apollo 14 February 2018 on Moonwatchuniverse Tumblr blog
And this is an interesting Launch day video (even at the beginning when the backup crew joins the seated Apollo 14 astronauts, Ron evans walks in wearing two watches, one on each wrist) 馃槈
.
For other pictures I refer to Apollo 14 February 2018 on Moonwatchuniverse Tumblr blog
And this is an interesting Launch day video (even at the beginning when the backup crew joins the seated Apollo 14 astronauts, Ron evans walks in wearing two watches, one on each wrist) 馃槈
.
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SpeedyPhill
路@djmusicman
Indeed that's the story/claim... the story goes that these wristwatches were given to his daughters Elisabeth (born 1959) and Karlyn (born 1953) ... staying in the Mitchell family...
Indeed that's the story/claim... the story goes that these wristwatches were given to his daughters Elisabeth (born 1959) and Karlyn (born 1953) ... staying in the Mitchell family...
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SpeedyPhill
路Rolex watches were even worn by cosmonauts (at least during training for Soyuz 10 in '71 and ASTP in '75) and also by some well-known USAF - NASA test pilots
But therefor I have to refer readers to my other Tumblr photoblog:
馃摉 馃槦
https://wristwatchlover.tumblr.com/archive
But therefor I have to refer readers to my other Tumblr photoblog:
馃摉 馃槦
https://wristwatchlover.tumblr.com/archive
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djmusicman
路@djmusicman
Indeed that's the story/claim... the story goes that these wristwatches were given to his daughters Elisabeth (born 1959) and Karlyn (born 1953) ... staying in the Mitchell family...
mmm sounds like a neat family to be in. I wonder if either of them likes younger men 馃槣
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SpeedyPhill
路Attention points in the Apollo 14 launch day video
01:50 Apollo 14 backup crew (Engle, Cernan & Evans) walk in... Evans clearly wearing a watch on each wrist (proving he's a watch-guy)
04:58 Some fiddling and the first Rolex with clear red&blue bezel goes on Mitchell's right wrist
05:25 The second Rolex goes on Mitchell's left wrist... looks like a Gold version ? 馃憥
01:50 Apollo 14 backup crew (Engle, Cernan & Evans) walk in... Evans clearly wearing a watch on each wrist (proving he's a watch-guy)
04:58 Some fiddling and the first Rolex with clear red&blue bezel goes on Mitchell's right wrist
05:25 The second Rolex goes on Mitchell's left wrist... looks like a Gold version ? 馃憥
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scv55
路I'm not the kind of guy who only recognizes the Speedy Pro as the "one and only space/moon watch," however it does surprise me that given NASAs specific requirement for hesalite crystal to remain on the Speedmaster because of the potential for sapphire to shatter and send shards of glass everywhere in zero G, that they would allow guys to bring other watches. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Rolex GMT and I want one very much. Just surprised this wasn't prevented.
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djmusicman
路I'm not the kind of guy who only recognizes the Speedy Pro as the "one and only space/moon watch," however it does surprise me that given NASAs specific requirement for hesalite crystal to remain on the Speedmaster because of the potential for sapphire to shatter and send shards of glass everywhere in zero G, that they would allow guys to bring other watches. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the Rolex GMT and I want one very much. Just surprised this wasn't prevented.
GMT's had acrylic crystals at this time. It wasn't until the 16760 appeared in 1983 that they featured an sapphire crystal. The 16750 continued to have an acrylic crystal until 1988 when it was discontinued.
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scv55
路GMT's had acrylic crystals at this time. It wasn't until the 16760 appeared in 1983 that they featured an sapphire crystal. The 16750 continued to have an acrylic crystal until 1988 when it was discontinued.
You sir get an A+! Thanks for the clarification.
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silversnopy13
路I was wearing my Rolex GMT Master from the mid 1980's while at a book signing for astronaut Wally Schirra in the San Diego area when he was alive. He saw my GMT and wanted to wear it and look at it. He let me try his Omega X-33 that he was wearing. I asked him about his watch. He said that he wore Omega because he was a NASA employee and that the other major watch companies would give him a new watch of theirs for every time that he went into space. He said that he had 3 Rolex's, TAG's, 3 Breitling's, etc..., one for each of the three times he went into space. He loved watches and had a nice collection of them. Many other astronauts that I have spoken to have said the same exact thing. Pretty cool to get a different watch for each time that you go into space.
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thegreentreefrog
路I posted this over in the Rolex forum but I thought there may be a little interest here as well since many of us have a bit of space geek in us.
My interest and research is confined to a very small sliver of space occupied by the watches worn by astronauts beginning with Gemini 3 and ending with Apollo 17.
During my research I have seen a few images of Jim Lovell wearing his Rolex GMT. None were great and none could be enhanced without serious distortion to get a good look a the GMT.
The image below has been my favorite Lovell pictures with the crew of Apollo 8. They look ready for the task at hand and Lovell's pose with the bomber jacket wearing the shinny new GMT on his wrist has always been my favorite.
Now....I Finally get a good look at the GMT that he has worn all these years. Tuesday I received my images from a signing he did where I had a piece signed. Included in the signing was a CD with images from the event. As I looked through the images I spotted the pictures I had been hoping to find over the past few years.
What a great looking well worn GMT 1675. It also appears that the dial has a Naval Academy crest printed on it at the 9 o'clock position.
If this watch could talk I bet it would tell some great stories.
