Here is a nice article in the new December 2015 issue of Air & Space magazine about the NASA Speedmasters. http://www.airspacemag.com/space/space-timekeepers-180957295/?no-ist
Fantabulous article, @TLIGuy...thanks for posting it. I thought the following excerpt at the end of the article was pretty entertaining (and historical)...motivation for a NASA astronaut [pilot] to continue flying the NASA T-38...which is a pretty hot ride as you know. From the article... _________________________ Ragan was in charge of all watches from Gemini through most of the space shuttle years. Six months to a year prior to a spaceflight, he gave the astronauts Omega chronographs so they could get used to wearing them. After the missions, they were supposed to give the watches back, but by that time the astronauts considered them personal possessions. When Ragan asked Slayton if he could buy more watches for Skylab astronauts, Slayton said, “Get yourself over here.” (Somehow, in Ragan’s telling, Wisconsin-born Slayton acquires a Texas twang.) When Ragan arrived, Slayton demanded: “What the devil are you buying more watches for?” Ragan explained. Slayton replied, “You give me a list of everyone who still has a watch. That’s government property.” Ragan did so, and legend has it that Slayton sent around a memo directing the astronauts to return their watches to Ragan, or they wouldn’t be assigned any more flying time in the T-38. Every last watch was turned in. _________________________
The part that killed me is that there are seven watches that have been to the moon that have been stolen while loaned out to other institutions.