Here is a 105.003-64 You Don't see often. Wally Schirra's Speedmaster auction...

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One more thing for our Australian friends about Wally Schirra : check out photos of the three weeks long 1966 Gemini Goodwill tour Walter Schirra & Frank Borman made visiting Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand... March 1966 saw them visiting Australia, photos show Borman wore his Rolex Oyster and Schirra a bezelless straight lugs Speedmaster probably his CK2998-4 !
A last thing about 105.003-64 and blue DON bezels:
https://bazamu.com/omega-speedmaster-105-003-64-blue-bezel/
 
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It's the only one that I am aware of that has astronaut related provenance.

Here's a link to a Gemini VIA watch:
http://rjjackson.com/images/space/Walter Schirra_Mercury Sigma-7_1962_Omega _CK2998.jpg

Not sure of the source, but looks like a photo of an exhibit. The French text is curious. A traveling exhibit? An older Omega museum exhibit?



Does this bezel look blue to you?

Here's some more speculation: what if Wally said the watch was flown but not by him? What if Stafford wore it?
 
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NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs worn by Thomas Stafford:

In March 1965, we saw Thomas Stafford wearing an Omega Speedmaster 105.003 during Gemini III preflight and best seen on actual launch day 1965, March 23 in the white room atop Launch Complex 19. This must have been on of the "survivor Speedies" of the 1964-1965 NASA tests !?
During all Gemini VIa launch attempts; Stafford clearly wore two NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003, a bezelless one at his right hand wrist. (NASA S/N 20 & 27).
During Gemini IX, Thomas Stafford again wore NASA S/N 27.
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During Apollo training, Stafford wore different Speedies for training, but for the actual spaceflight missions, Stafford wore: Apollo 10 (S/N 27) & during Apollo-Soyuz (S/N 76 & 79).
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There're numerous 1966-1976 "daily life" photos of Stafford clearly showing an Omega Speedmaster chronograph on lightweight steel mesh JB Champion bracelet, it would be very interesting to find out which watch that was...
(Photos: NASA)
 
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This photo arrived today.



First time I've seen a stamp like this on the back. Looks like something that would come from the signer to use for photos they handed out, as opposed to a collector who asked them to sign something. I can imagine Ed White getting the stamp and stamping the back of a pile of photos to use to give to people.

Attached was the resume of the doctor, which I've included as it mentions Wally's watch.

 
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This photo arrived today.



First time I've seen a stamp like this on the back. Looks like something that would come from the signer to use for photos they handed out, as opposed to a collector who asked them to sign something. I can imagine Ed White getting the stamp and stamping the back of a pile of photos to use to give to people.

Attached was the resume of the doctor, which I've included as it mentions Wally's watch.


I just wanted to add that I've looked into Joseph John Combs III and he's a lawyer along with being the general consul for a publicly traded company. So he wouldn't take making and signing an attestation statement lightly. Thanks for posting this!
 
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Thanks for posting this!

You're welcome. I think you'll get a similar letter with the watch.

Any updates on when you'll get it? I think I'd be scared to death to trust the mail.

Still very jealous. But very grateful that you're sharing. So many of these enter a black hole never to be seen again.
 
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Although an extra watch caqnnot be spotted in NASA Gemini VIa photographs, all I can add is that US Navy Capt Walter "Wally" Schirra was a bit of a joker as most of us know his "Are You a Trutle" story.
Some amazing "firsts" during Gemini VIa as both Walter Schirra and Tom Stafford respectively wore their metal US Navy aviator and US Air Force pilot wings on the 26 hours long mission.
Moreover, during Gemini VIa, Wally Schirra did admit he smuggled a lot of items, among these:
litle mouth harmonica + a string of 6 jingle bells + 6 cigarettes + little bottle of Scotch !
I guess we can add this Omega Speedmaster 105.003-64 to that listing...

Edit: it's important to mention that his "smuggled" items apparently did not appear on Schirra's official PPK Personal Preference Kit for the Gemini VIa mission !
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Top tip:
This is an interesting series by PRAXIS books, with a very small contribution of mine 😉
(Photo: Praxis books)
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Edited:
 
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Strange the letter didn't mention
Gemini XI Charles Conrad & Richard Gordon
Gemini XII James Lovell & Edwin Aldrin

Not the same Dr Joseph Combs I presume ?
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/schuylkill/name/joseph-combs-obituary?id=21240524
Nope, not the same person.

There were other items in that auction that came from Dr. Combs. I wish I'd noticed them but I was super focused on the watch and some of the space gloves.

Here are the other items... I wish I'd nabbed one or more of them:

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/...esented-to-a-project-gemini-medical-director/

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/...an-electrophysiologist-at-mcdonnell-aircraft/
 
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You're welcome. I think you'll get a similar letter with the watch.

Any updates on when you'll get it? I think I'd be scared to death to trust the mail.

Still very jealous. But very grateful that you're sharing. So many of these enter a black hole never to be seen again.
It should hopefully ship today!
 
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Wow.

I wasn’t expecting the way the dial goes from black to blue depending on the angle you view it at and the lighting.

It’s usually very clearly blue. But at some angles it’s black.

Just received it so posting some quick pics but it’s awesome.

 
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WhoopsI meant the bezel not the dial 😂. Posted it real quick before a Zoom call. It's beautiful though.

Whatever happened with the chemical reaction on the bezel is definitely not like a ghost bezel or a tropical dial.

At some angles depending on the lighting it does look black. But from most it's clearly blue. And not slightly blue. Full on blue.
 
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Here is a quick video where I try and show the visual effect of it appearing black and then clearly blue.
 
IMG_3038.mov - 26.2 MB
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Here is a quick video where I try and show the visual effect of it appearing black and then clearly blue.
 
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I realized I had forgot to return with a quick update on how the visit to Omega HQ went... it was an amazing visit and had the privilege of seeing a lot of cool things like the Atelier d'Excellence and even spend some time with Raynald.

Everyone who's familiar with visits like this will probably correctly guess that I also got to hang out with Mariano Samudio. Awesome guy. Great sense of humor! When I showed him the "Blueberry" he about fell out of his seat. His initial reaction was "Wow wow wow"... before inspecting it with a loupe that they had out for us to use while looking at some other pieces that were in the conference room.

While he was taking a look at it Raynald came into the conference room like a whirlwind. He came over to where Mariano and I were because he was curious at what he was looking at. Raynald took the watch and loupe from Mariano and started inspecting it closely... he walked over near one of the big windows/doors to a balcony in the conference room for some better light and was inspecting it super hard.

Of course neither would/could confirm the story that is the Blueberry. But I could tell that Mariano really enjoyed being able to look at it and Raynald was intrigued. Raynald say it was a beautiful piece.

I'm pretty sure they were NOT expecting me to walk in that day with that watch 🤣.