Space watches - that aren't a Speedmaster

I love Speedmasters, and their connection to space.

Let's try something a little different here... Let's highlight space watches that are NOT SPEEDMASTERS - And (of course) share the connection - to space I mean!

Let me start...

This is my favorite Cosmonaut, the A12023 - a limited run from the 1990's. Note the lack of a date complication (like the original), the use of the Breitling anchor & wings instead of the AOPA logo, and this one has an exhibition case back!



As for the connection with space, I believe it goes something like this:

Scott Carpenter was selected to pilot NASA's Aurora 7 spacecraft for the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. On May 24, 1962 he became the sixth man in space, doing three full rotations of the Earth - essentially repeating what John Glenn had done a few months earlier. To accompany him on this mission, he commissioned a special version of the Breitling Navitimer, directly from Breitling. As his logic went, there is no AM or PM in space, so best to have a 24-hour dial. And the rest of the complications on the Navitimer's slide rule were legitimately helpful for pilots back then, before it could all be handled by computers.

Carpenter was not the first choice to pilot this mission, rather a "lucky" back-up. I often say half of life is luck and timing. And speaking of timing, he (and/or someone at ground control) made a critical timing error on re-entry that resulted in the spacecraft veering 250 miles (400 km) off-course. Luckily this still had him landing/crashing down in water, but it delayed his ocean recovery by more than an hour - three hours per Breitling. Tragically (at least for watch enthusiasts) his special Breitling, which performed admirably in space, did not survive the exposure to the sea while he awaited his rescue. Apparently not much thought was given to what would happen "after space".

I believe this was the "First Swiss" watch in space.

EDIT: And Speedmaster fans will likely recognize that movement!

Mr Carpenter sent the original watch back to Breitling - and here it is in a recent photo:

Next in my collection are two "official" homage watches celebrating Yuri Gagarin as the first man in space. These are the versions with the exhibition case backs, which are quite hard to find IME.



These have the last of the russian manufactured Poljot 2609 movement, visible through the case back. I've read that Yuri's original watch was air force issued, and likely 33mm vs my re-editions that measure 40mm

Then we have "The Pogue", and in this case (I believe) a "True Pogue". Just like Col. Pogue's watch, this is a 6139-6005 from September or 1971 - completely original (except bracelet), and one of the most iconic and collectible Seikos thanks to its connection to space.

IIRC, Colonel Pogue wore this watch into space in November of 1973 on the Skylab 4 mission, with a Speedmaster on his other wrist...

This is the Yema Spationaute II from 1985, commissioned by the French space agency (CNES) and famously worn by French astronaut Patrick Baudry on the Discovery Space Shuttle.

EDIT: This watch was worn for the Franco-American Orbital mission "STS-51G"

Omitting the Speedmasters in my collection, I think that's the end of my space watches - unless we end up considering "movie space" watches : )

Let's first see if we have the Heuer or Fortis or G-shocks or any of the MANY other space watches here...

Nice collection... I hope Yu know the "Pogue" was not the only first automatic chronograph in space
During the SL-4 mission, both Gerald Carr (Movado Datachron HS360 PHC) and William Pogue (Seiko 6139-6005) wore an automatic chronograph in space:
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https://www.hodinkee.com/magazine/snuck-into-space/

Thanks @SpeedyPhill - you don't happen to have a Movado Datachron HS360 by chance? It looks like a really cool watch, and is now on my radar : )

I am surprised no one else has a non-speedmaster space watch to share... Let says space watch OR movie space watch then, so long as it doesn't say Speedmaster on the dial : )

Oh wait, I forgot about my Gene Kranz re-issue. The Seiko SLRP91 is a pretty faithful re-edition of the 6119-8460 - which was famously worn by Apollo-era NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz during the lunar missions

Yes @pdxleaf ! Awesome space watches! Wow.

I wonder what the deal is with the Movado Datachron vs Datron? This is the first exposure I've had to that model and I am definitely intrigued.

Keeping feet firmly on the ground. This is the raketa Kopurnik. Named after astronomer nicolai Kopurnik. Space from the comforts of the observatory.

I guess the only explosive decompression he felt was a bad nights curry 🤣

From "Hollywood Space": From the 1986 movie Aliens, this is the more recent re-edition "Ripley"

X33 Skywalker

Ya, super cool, but technically a "Speedmaster Professional". Still, I'll allow it! : )

Don't forget the Chinese space watches too...
https://omegaforums.net/threads/chinese-space-watch.133074/