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I just bought this... help

pdxleaf
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
@DoctorEvil That would be the mother of all coincidences, but I have to say the thought briefly crossed my mind. That's why I shared my story.

I know the NASM is continuing to work on an extensive list and inventory of the NASA Speedmasters. As friendly as I've become with a few there, they are reluctant to share much information regarding S/Ns until their work is complete.

Is their work FOIA'ble? Do they intend to make the list public? If so, do you know of their projected date of to complete?
 
TLIGuy
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
Is their work FOIA'ble? Do they intend to make the list public? If so, do you know of their projected date of to complete?

I'm sure the records they have are FOIA'able. While I find the topic interesting, I've never fallen into the camp of needing to know the movement and S/N information, but I do know there is interest in the information. Since you ask, I'll ask my NASM contact if they are aware of any FOIA requests for this information.

I've been in contact with the NASM and Jim Ragan for the past few years now. I think the documentation on the watches in ongoing, yet not a priority for the NASM staff. Like anything else it's a long slow on and off process as new information is acquired. I could not put a date on when I think the information would be made available.
 
rcs914
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I mean looking at the OP's watch I'd be shocked if it ever went anywhere but the cardboard box from Omega to Grandad's drawer. That thing sure doesn't look like it ever saw any wrist time.
 
pdxleaf
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
I'm sure the records they have are FOIA'able. While I find the topic interesting, I've never fallen into the camp of needing to know the movement and S/N information, but I do know there is interest in the information. Since you ask, I'll ask my NASM contact if they are aware of any FOIA requests for this information.

I've been in contact with the NASM and Jim Ragan for the past few years now. I think the documentation on the watches in ongoing, yet not a priority for the NASM staff. Like anything else it's a long slow on and off process as new information is acquired. I could not put a date on when I think the information would be made available.


Thanks.

The FOIA approach might be a bit ham-fisted, although sometimes it is needed to pry info from tightfisted officials.

Since you have a connection to a sympathetic ear, maybe just emphasize that there are people who are very interested in their project and that we would be interested both in their progress to date, as well as regular updates as they progress, (in asmuch as possible.) They no doubt want to be thorough and accurate before making anything public, but we might be willing to trade completeness in exchange for expeditious results 馃榿.
 
TLIGuy
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As @rcs914 points out the watch discussed looks like it's been sitting in a box unworn for years. I don't think this would be the Scobee watch discussed in my encounter story. I just mentioned the story because it mirrored how some of these watches could have possibly found their way into private hands.

I will reach out and ask if I can get an update on the status of the work the NASM is doing. I tend to ask my questions sparingly so when I really need a piece of information for my research they are more inclined to share with me knowing I'm not taking the relationship for granted.

EDIT - I will add that one of the reasons I've been told they are reluctant to release some of the movement and serial number information is that they know these watches are highly prized and valued. There is a bit of trepidation that enterprising fraudsters could create a watch that could be passed off as something it is not. I think their concerns are valid and it's simply not to deny the public the information.

I know from personal experience simply having a case back signed, Alan Bean refused to sign a piece until I had laser engraved "NOT MISSION FLOWN" over which he signed his name.

Bean-Reject-Article.jpg
Edited:
 
JwRosenthal
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
Thanks.

The FOIA approach might be a bit ham-fisted, although sometimes it is needed to pry info from tightfisted officials.

Since you have a connection to a sympathetic ear, maybe just emphasize that there are people who are very interested in their project and that we would be interested both in their progress to date, as well as regular updates as they progress, (in asmuch as possible.) They no doubt want to be thorough and accurate before making anything public, but we might be willing to trade completeness in exchange for expeditious results 馃榿.
Yeah, invoking FOI is like asking for the manager at the DMV- any goodwill goes out the window and they will go by the book.
 
DoctorEvil
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rcs914 rcs914
I mean looking at the OP's watch I'd be shocked if it ever went anywhere but the cardboard box from Omega to Grandad's drawer. That thing sure doesn't look like it ever saw any wrist time.
I was just thinking that myself. Most flown Speedys I've seen are quite beat up.
 
Twocats
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
This is a very good book about the development of the program. Brinkley is probably the best scholarly writer who wrote about NASA and the early program.

He seems to be very pragmatic about WVB. His greatest condemnation seems to be that WVB never really acknowledged his role in the evil.

20230306_180528.jpg


I haven't read this book yet.
20230306_180548.jpg


MVB wrote an introduction. I found it telling when I read that the book promises to tell the untold full story of the men who developed the rockets. Flipping through it I found no mention of slave labor, beatings and starvation.

20230306_180616.jpg
Hans Von Ohain wrote a book called Elegance in flight which documented his early years developing a jet engine for Ernst Heinkel and his post war years as a paperclip scientist. Apparently his family could only move to the USA many years after his arrival.

I have a supposedly autographed photo signed by Hans and in the photo is none other than MVB.
 
sheepdoll
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Sometimes I wonder who W.C.L was that is the initals that were engraved on the bracelt and the (now missing) back of my speedy. This came with two backs, the engraved one and the now incorrect 105.012.

It definitely saw some use. I wore it as a daily beater through much of the 1990s till I scratched the crystal. One of the reasons I got it was I found a box of loose parts which were a similar Tissot (T12) Curiously I was not aware of the differences (pillar vs cams.) Until last year. This was all 30 years ago and wristwatches were completly out of fashion. There was still a lot of bitterness from the Quartz crises.

The Mart dealer I got mine from dealt in estate sales. At the time It was the most I had ever paid for a watch. This was somewhere between 1994 and 1995) Curious that we timed the speed of the laser printers with stop watches. So it actually was a practical watch.

Curiously in 1995 I worked for a company that bought ITEK, what made the cameras used on these missions. The scanner we were working on was the size of a refrigerator. At the trade show desktop flat bed scanners were released. We used to make a lot of jokes about the NASA designed desktop scanner that took 20 minutes to boot up and calibrate.

When I got back from my trip to New Hampture I found the company had scrapped my desktop machine, and sold it off as components.

Fortunatly My laptop was my personal property.
 
hansaboy
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Gotta revive this post!馃檮

Anybody knows what happened to the OP?
And any other info....?

This watch feels maybe too good to be true?
 
JwRosenthal
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hansaboy hansaboy
Gotta revive this post!馃檮

Anybody knows what happened to the OP?
And any other info....?

This watch feels maybe too good to be true?
He鈥檚 been on the run since the second reply
4C96BFD3-6FD7-4FAE-AA8D-5A9E12BAEE20.gif
 
rob#1
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hansaboy hansaboy
Gotta revive this post!馃檮

Anybody knows what happened to the OP?
And any other info....?

This watch feels maybe too good to be true?

I understand he may have disappeared under all the messages in his Inbox 馃槈
 
madjestikmoose
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hansaboy hansaboy
Gotta revive this post!馃檮

Anybody knows what happened to the OP?
And any other info....?

This watch feels maybe too good to be true?

Agree. I鈥檝e been suspicious of it from the start.
 
gbesq
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The OP is now an Elvis impersonator in Vegas. NASA will never find him.
B8893BCB-CF7C-47F6-94F9-753B8749E771.jpeg
Edited:
 
Harbormaster
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What an interesting thread. Sorry to bring it back up but does anyone know what happened to the
OP or the watch??
 
Scarecrow Boat
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Harbormaster Harbormaster
What an interesting thread. Sorry to bring it back up but does anyone know what happened to the
OP or the watch??
They haven鈥檛 logged in for quite some time. They joined the forum, created this thread, and haven鈥檛 been seen since. It鈥檚 anyone鈥檚 guess as to what happened to either.
IMG_5881.webp
 
Harbormaster
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Wow. But someone must have heard of the sale of a watch of this caliber!! Unless he buried in his backyard. So that watch never surfaced as far as anyone knows??
 
Foo2rama
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Harbormaster Harbormaster
Wow. But someone must have heard of the sale of a watch of this caliber!! Unless he buried in his backyard. So that watch never surfaced as far as anyone knows??
This watch most likely cannot be legally sold. aFAIK NASA never officially decommissioned them so they are all US Government opened still.
 
Harbormaster
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So if he did get rid of the watch it must have been through the back door! So interesting! 馃
After more analysis from his pictures does the watch look legit? Except for maybe the back engravings being a bit off from known examples.
 
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