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Specific reference worn on the Apollo 13 mission?

demchocholips
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All the stories today about the Apollo 13 mission made me curious about the specific Speedmaster reference(s) worn on the mission. What watch was used to time the 14-second burn?
 
SpeedyPhill
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With some "reservation" ... NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs worn on Apollo 13
Lovell wore NASA #70 ... Haise wore NASA #68 ... Swigert wore NASA #69 and his personal Rolex GMT-master 1675 Pepsi pilot watch
Jack Swigert timed the 14 seconds LM DPS burn
Omega event 2019:
.
2019_June25-Singapore.jpg

🍿
 
Caliber561
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SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
With some "reservation" ... NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs worn on Apollo 13
Lovell wore NASA #70 ... Haise wore NASA #68 ... Swigert wore NASA #69 and his personal Rolex GMT-master 1675 Pepsi pilot watch
Jack Swigert timed the 14 seconds LM DPS burn
Omega event 2019:
.
2019_June25-Singapore.jpg

🍿
I think the OP meant Omega reference, not NASA. Like 105.012-65 or -66.
 
SpeedyPhill
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The correct NASA number and the NASM website should bring that answer... Lovell's Speedmaster:
.
Lovell_70.jpg
 
TLIGuy
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SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
With some "reservation" ... NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs worn on Apollo 13
Lovell wore NASA #70 ... Haise wore NASA #68 ... Swigert wore NASA #69 and his personal Rolex GMT-master 1675 Pepsi pilot watch
Jack Swigert timed the 14 seconds LM DPS burn
Omega event 2019:
.
2019_June25-Singapore.jpg

I was admittedly a skeptic of this story that was told during the Speedy Tuesday event when James Ragan mentioned as almost a side note that it was Jim Lovell’s watch that timed the critical 14 second burn and not Swigert’s watch as written about in Lovell's book Lost Moon. I know time and lost memories can skew stories over the years but this was a significant change from the story that Swigert timed the burn with his watch. It now appears that it was in fact Lovell's watch that was used to time the burn as observed by Swigert.

When Jim Ragan said that it was Lovell’s watch that was used I thought why would Lovell give Swigert his watch when Swigert had his own? It made no sense until I heard the story of the 14 second burn in the fantastic BBC Podcast 13 Mintues to the Moon during season 2 about Apollo 13.

It is interesting that the narrator says Swigert observes the “second hand” and not the chronograph hand on the watch. If Lovell had his hands on the controls and Swigert is floating between the two it might be logical to assume the chronograph hand may not have been started and the burn was actually timed by the observation of the running second hand sub dial by Swigert as described by the narrator. That is unless the chronograph was started before everyone was in place and ready, but listening to the narrator tell the story, I’m inclined to think it was the former and the running second hand was used for the burn and not the chronograph hand.

Even after 50 years there is still new stuff to learn and this is one of the better new pieces of new information in a long time.

Here is the link to the Podcast 13 Minutes to the Moon - Season 2 Episode 6 - Earth in View. The pertinent conversation about the watch and the timing of the burn starts at 5:20 to 8:10.

"The crew are off course, 200,000 miles from home and without a guidance computer. Their lives now depend on their flying skills - and Jim Lovell’s wristwatch."

13 Minutes to the Moon - Earth in View
Edited:
 
jsducote
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TLIGuy TLIGuy
It is interesting that the narrator says Swigert observes the “second hand” and not the chronograph hand on the watch. If Lovell had his hands on the controls and Swigert is floating between the two it might be logical to assume the chronograph hand may not have been started and the burn was actually timed by the observation of the running second hand sub dial by Swigert as described by the narrator. That is unless the chronograph was started before everyone was in place and ready, but listening to the narrator tell the story, I’m inclined to think it was the former and the running second hand was used for the burn and not the chronograph hand.
I'm inclined to think that the narrator is simply not being technically precise with respect to the names of the hands and is referring to the chrono hand incorrectly, as would most lay persons. ('Lay' being relative to the watch world) I find it less likely that an engineer, pilot, astronaut would rely on the tiny running sub dial for something requiring such precision.
 
TLIGuy
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jsducote jsducote
I'm inclined to think that the narrator is simply not being technically precise with respect to the names of the hands and is referring to the chrono hand incorrectly, as would most lay persons. ('Lay' being relative to the watch world) I find it less likely that an engineer, pilot, astronaut would rely on the tiny running sub dial for something requiring such precision.

I would tend to agree with you but until someone more familiar with exactly transpired elaborates who knows and at this point who really cares?

I’ve never flown a lunar module but either Lovell has to start the chronograph with one hand on the pitch controller and start the engine with his right hand where the ignition button is along with his watch, Swigert starts the chronograph on Lovell’s wrist at the exact moment Lovell ignites the engine, the chronograph was already running and Swigert starts counting the 14 seconds from ignition, or Swigert is simply watching the sub dial hand as told in the story. Maybe another scenario or two is possible but until more is revealed I’ll stick with Occam’s Theroy that the simplest explanation is the most likely the correct one albeit a less exciting story for Omega to tell or movie to write. If you listened to the whole episode you hear Haise tell how anticlimactic the event actually was than how it was portrayed in the movie.

In my mind, I see Lovell’s right hand index finger on the ignition button with his other hand on the pitch controller looking out the window keeping the crosshairs on the Earth’s terminator. With Swigert looking at the watch Lovell depresses the ignition button and Swigert starts the count. Lovell never looks down keeping his finger on the ignition button stopping when Swigert tells him to 14 seconds later.

Also, remember this is not the story told by Lovell in his book where he specifically says “Jack, since we don’t have a timer you time the burn with your watch.”

Who knows, and like I said at the beginning, who cares.
Edited:
 
lexieb007
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SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
Speedmaster reference 105.012 (e.g. Fred Haise on NASM website)
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/chronograph-haise-apollo-13/nasm_A19771180000
Of course most Apollo astronauts had 2 NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster chronographs, Haise's 2nd Speedmaster was a 105.003
.
zH.jpg

...
Officially we'll have to wait: https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/omega.html
What pushers should be on the 66 CB case? Short fat, or tall? This picture of the Haise watch on his suit looks like they are tall pushers???
 
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