Great to see how Alexei Leonov and Thomas Stafford became friends for life !
☕
July 1975, during ASTP, a total of 11 Omega Speedmaster chronographs were flown, the three astronauts each wore two 321 versions, the two cosmonauts each wore two 861 versions, with Leonov carrying a third Omega in his personal kit. A record-number of
11 Omega Speedmaster at the same time in space, a record that stood until December 1990, when a box set of 10 Omega Speedmaster chronographs was carried to the Mir space station with Soyuz TM-11. This box set became known as the "90 days on Mir set" and during that period a total of
14 Omega Speedmasters were at the same time in space.
Thus far the record of most Omega Speedmaster chronographs being simultaneously in space remains the period July 1993-July 1994 when Soyuz TM-17 crew carried a box set of 35 Omega Speedmaster chronographs to the Mir space station. This “One year on Mir set” box contained twenty-eight steel and seven Gold Speedmaster chronographs, the only space-flown Gold versions, thus not on the wrist of spacefarers.
Together with resident cosmonauts a total of
37 Omega Speedmaster chronographs orbited the Earth simultaneously, a record that stands to this day! #moonwatchuniverse
