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Is the moonwatch still a tool watch or just a luxury one?

TLIGuy
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Panych Panych
I disagree that current astronauts and cosmonauts use the Moonwatch in EVA just because of “nostalgic reasons“. Their life fully depend on the quality and efficiency of tools they use....but during launching, landing and in EVA they use the moonwatch.

Sorry to be the one to burst the bubble but lives don't depend on the use of the Speedmaster during EVA's. If lives depended on it watches would be worn externally by all astronauts and cosmonauts performing EVA's and the neither Americans or ESA spacewalkers wear them any longer.

What is really depended on is the financial resources to keep the Russian space program going and Omega plays a small roll in that. The only reason you see the Speedmasters still during launches and cosmonauts taking wrist shots of Speedmasters during EVA's is because of one thing...money!! It is the mother of all product placement deals.

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FreelanceWriter
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Panych Panych
I disagree that current astronauts and cosmonauts use the Moonwatch in EVA just because of “nostalgic reasons“. Their life fully depend on the quality and efficiency of tools they use.
I think pilots and astronauts are also susceptible to the same cult-appeal impulse, which, according to Tom Wolfe (and others), is also why so many of them still sound like Chuck Yeager despite not being from anywhere close to West Virginia.
Panych Panych
X-33 is also a speedmaster and now is used by people in ISS but during launching, landing and in EVA they use the moonwatch.
Anybody happen to know why they do this and also why they wouldn't prefer a more modern watch without the propensity for any of the glitches common to Speedmasters and other mechanicals? To me, even the cosmonaut's choice of mechanical Fortis 5100s makes a lot more sense, because a center-sweeping minute counter is so much easier to read, especially in a bumpy ride. Why would a Speedmaster be a better functional choice?
 
TLIGuy
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FreelanceWriter FreelanceWriter
Anybody happen to know why they do this and also why they wouldn't prefer a more modern watch without the propensity for any of the glitches common to Speedmasters and other mechanicals? To me, even the cosmonaut's choice of mechanical Fortis 5100s makes a lot more sense, because a center-sweeping minute counter is so much easier to read, especially in a bumpy ride. Why would a Speedmaster be a better functional choice?

See that big ass check above😉
 
Panych
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
Sorry to be the one to burst the bubble but lives don't depend on the use of the Speedmaster during EVA's. If lives depended on it watches would be worn externally by all astronauts and cosmonauts performing EVA's and the neither Americans or ESA spacewalkers wear them any longer.

What is really depended on is the financial resources to keep the Russian space program going and Omega plays a small roll in that. The only reason you see the Speedmasters still during launches and cosmonauts taking wrist shots of Speedmasters during EVA's is because of one thing...money!! It is the mother of all product placement deals.
Sorry, but you and I never know what may be critical during EVA unless you are a cosmonaut or astronaut. But I am fully convinced that the quality of any tools (including watches) used there is very important and sometimes is vital. The fact itself that Russians use omega in the space says that such watches are tool ones regardless whether or not other use them or they are not efficient.
Rolex and Omega are guru in product placement and use such marketing everywhere where is possible and this fact does not necessarily undermine the purpose or quality of thier product. As for the check you attached, I hope you have a trusted source of this information, otherwise it is just a piece of nice picture.... 😉
Edited:
 
shoota70
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Huge Speedmaster fan here.... if "my life depended on it", and "it" was referring to a watch, then the Speedmaster would be near the bottom of my list of choices.
 
Foo2rama
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@TLIGuy

I rarely argue with you in regards to spaceflight issues...

In this case on take offs and landing while wearing the equivalent of the ACES suit, I believe they feel it’s an important back up. If the module losses power or the computers fault after orbit but before in the injection burn a back up timer could be needed. While I doubt this would require vacuum ability and ability for use with gloves it’s still there. Both NASA and Russia feel these periods are the most hazardous parts of the mission.
 
TLIGuy
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Panych Panych
Sorry, but you and I never know what may be critical during EVA unless you are a cosmonaut or astronaut. But I am fully convinced that the quality of any tools (including watches) used there is very important and sometimes is vital. The fact itself that Russians use omega in the spase says that such watches are tool ones regardless whether or not other use them or they are not efficient.
Rolex and Omega are guru in product placement and use such marketing everywhere where is possible and this fact does not necessarily undermine the purpose or quality of thier product. As for the check you attached, I hope you have a trusted source of this information, otherwise it is just a piece of nice picture.... 😉

Well, please accept my apology then. I’m not as well versed as you appear to be on the subject and I have a bad habit of speaking out of place regarding the topic.
 
Panych
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It might be interesting... This I took from the blog of Oleg Artemiev, a Russian cosmonaut (google and my translation from Russian 😀) https://artemjew.ru/2014/07/24/watch/#prettyPhoto

“The main onboard clock is at the central post (with red numbers), time is checked against them, they are in turn tuned to voice commands from the Earth.
To the right of the onboard clock is a white alarm-timer, which is used constantly for its intended purpose, as an alarm clock for raising and reminding in experiments, it is very convenient. There are a dozen of them at the station, if not more.

Wristwatch, from left to right. The first is out of order, broken down immediately after removal. The second stopped in three months - ended the battery. The third I wear constantly, the watch is good, but I can't fully use it, because for the second month of the flight, the control crown flew off, so the watch is a bit running fast and the alarm goes off, which was set two months ago, so I get up before everyone 😀). The fourth hangs in the cabin, so as new, is a back up in case the third completely lies or breaks down. The Fifths are used when going into space, clings to the spacesuit.”
 
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queriver
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Mad Dog Mad Dog
Tool watch.

My work is done here.

👍

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@Mad Dog 's correct again. Oxford dictionary says a tool is "A device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function" and "A thing used to help perform a job" so whether it's holding up a pair of jeans or worn on the wrist to tell the time, a Speedmaster's definitely a tool watch. Quod Erat Demonstrandum.
 
FreelanceWriter
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queriver queriver
Quod Erat Demonstrandum.
Before you pat yourself on the back there, ask yourself how helpful your line of reasoning is if every watch in existence meets that definition. (The phrase "tool watch" has a contextual connotation that's not answered at all by the dictionary and I don't think anybody here really needs the word tool defined.) If you want to further the conversation, maybe offer a line of reasoning for defining some watches, but not others, as tool watches.
Edited:
 
queriver
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FreelanceWriter FreelanceWriter
Before you pat yourself on the back there, ask yourself how helpful your line of reasoning is if every watch in existence meets that definition.
Exactly my point. If you accept Oxford's definition, and the line of reasoning that stems from it, every watch is a tool watch unless it's left in a drawer or bank safe performing no useful time keeping function, and some watches perform more than one function, e.g. chrono, dive watch, GMT. 😉
 
SpeedyPhill
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@TLIGuy is right about the financial resource and I can confirm this haven spoken to several astronauts & cosmonauts about space-flown wrist watches... If You know some consider it a "company" tool but rather prefer another (personal choice) tool, it's clear that since the Space Shuttle era constraints on what personal items they could take/wear aboard a mission were relaxed...
Look carefully at most of today's pre-launch images and You'll notice that most crew members are wearing up to 3 time pieces !
Having a keen interest in space-flown watches for the last 45+ years I can tell there're some amazing stories out there 😗
.
Edit: on topic = modern Omega, Rolex, etc... are surely luxury items, take a good look at these modern "bling bling" pieces
 
Panych
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SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
@TLIGuy is right about the financial resource and I can confirm this haven spoken to several astronauts & cosmonauts about space-flown wrist watches... If You know some consider it a "company" tool but rather prefer another (personal choice) tool, it's clear that since the Space Shuttle era constraints on what personal items they could take/wear aboard a mission were relaxed...
Look carefully at most of today's pre-launch images and You'll notice that most crew members are wearing up to 3 time pieces !
Having a keen interest in space-flown watches for the last 45+ years I can tell there're some amazing stories out there 😗
.
Edit: on topic = modern Omega, Rolex, etc... are surely luxury items, take a good look at these modern "bling bling" pieces

Does NASA provide with a wrist watch their austronauts now and if so, then what kind of?
 
Panych
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Thank you.
I have heard that Roscosmos does not take back the watches after a mission completed and presented them to cosmonautes. Is this the same in NASA?
Edited:
 
TLIGuy
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Panych Panych
...Nobody now uses mechanical chronographs for time keeping in auto sport, professional divers use computers instead of mechanical watches, etc. So, all these watches are just luxury ones and have lost their professional purpose...

@Panych Interesting that auto sports have been able to evolve with the advancement of computer time keeping but apparently the manned space program has not and still depends so heavily on mechanical time pieces. Got it.

@SpeedyPhill thanks for the validation regarding the financial aspect of this discussion.
Edited:
 
Panych
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
@Panych Interesting that auto sports have been able to evolve with the advancement of computer time keeping but apparently the manned space program has not and still depends so heavily on mechanical time pieces. Got it.
It might be because of different purposes, sport and job...
I don’t deny that there are other better options to keep time in the space. I just want to say that the moonwatch is still used there and this is the fact.
 
snake.doctor
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Technology in the space program is a strange thing... Just take a look at how difficult it is nowadays to produce a decent launcher for the different space program. They are unable to produce something close to the Saturn V from the 60's which functioned perfectly.

Sometimes electronics are not a good thing to have on board, and to be able to rely on mechanical devices is a better option... I don't know how sensitive the components of electronic watches are when exposed to magnetism like an EMP for example...
 
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