I had the opportunity to spend a little time with this beauty today. I never really appreciated the beauty and uniqueness of the Radial dial Speedmaster until I strapped one on my wrist.

This one has just over 450 hours in space logging almost 8 million miles onboard the shuttles Atlantis, Challenger, and Discovery and today I logged an additional 1hour and 30 minutes of wrist time on it.



Here is our double Speedmaster shot taken on the back of his obviously yellow Corvette.

The 1978 Radial dial on its original flown NASA Velcro strap and my -78 Speedmaster.



EDIT - Just to clarify, I had this beauty on the wrist for 1 hour and 30 minutes not less than 2 minutes.

 

A real grail for me. I'd love to have one. I'd trade every watch I have for one. So jealous!

How did you come to wear it? Sotheby's?

 

Breakfast with the guy that wore it on his 3 missions. Once as the pilot and twice as the commander. Still his to wear until he returns it to NASA.

 

This thread is gonna boost the price of the Sotheby's one 50 pct!

For those that can never attain a radial speedy.. You can at least get the radial subdials in a seamaster from the same period for about 3-5k

 

@oddboy : Seriously? I can’t imagine ANY single watch being SO desirable that I’d trade ALL my other watches. Here’s your chance to take it back before it’s too late.

Btw, wow! I love radial dialed Omega chronographs. Incredible watch!

 

I think that even the Squirrel would warm to that one, even if it is a Speedie!

 

I could think of a few more things in trade along with my tiny watch collection. Definitely a grail for me as well.

Wife would think someone went through and robbed the house .

 

That lug style so special

 

Such a Radial dial would be the dream-Speedmaster to celebrate 50 years Alaska Project, Omega's design for the ultimate space watch…
If they can add dosh & plosh for a " Metal Magic " 50 years Apollo 11 they surely can do something with a real radial dial, be it on a white or black surface dial, whether or not with the famous Gemini capsule hands for the subdials…

 

Yep. Also comes with a matching 861 movement

 

Not gunna happen.

Already done


Even says a tribute to Alaska Project 111 and a nice RADIAL around the case back.

 

Yep it has been done but the Omega team might rethink the return of the Gemini capsule shaped hands for the subdial to celebrate 50 years Alaska Project ?
Everybody is waiting for the return of the 321 movement, well if we think spaceflight related it might be another FOIS CK-2998 lookalike but this time with 321 inside... or used to celebrate 50 years Apollo 13 or even Apollo 17 as Cernan's Speedmaster was the one used to scan the wonderful 321 movement ?
Anyway with new Speedies reaching vintage pieces prices, I've given up on Omega... and with me a bunch of (older 55+) spaceflight fans, started to look elsewhere... this will become clear as we celebrate the upcoming half-a-century anniversary of the other Apollo missions...

 

Seiko Pogue a good brother/ alternative for a Speedy, yes? (if we are focusing on Spaceflight association that is).

 

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Really an amazing piece.

Any idea how long the astronauts can maintain these pieces in their possession?

 

the only radial subdials a mere mortal will ever be able to afford. . .

 

Well, the ST1 isn’t out of reach IMO...

My first radial is my 145.006.



Then I was able to source a ST1 at a reasonable price.

 

The few Apollo astronauts I've spoken too, said they kept one NASA-issued Speedmaster for 20 years before returning it...

 

By now all NASA-issued Radial Dial Speedmaster chronographs must surely be returned to NASA as since 1993 I didn't find any photos pointing out these were used later then STS-53 aboard space shuttle Discovery in December 1992...
https://omegaforums.net/threads/45-years-speedmaster-radial-dial-nasa.64728/

 

Not sure what you mean by "must surely been returned to NASA"

The one I posted is still worn by the astronaut who left flight status in the late 90's to join NASA management until around 2006. There are many retired astronauts still wearing the radial dial watches. Brandenstein, Cabana, and Engle to name a few.

The astronaut who wears the watch above gets a note from NASA every few years asking if it is still in his possession. The watch is his until he decides to return it.

...or are you saying none are still flying?

 

The vist also got me a new piece for the case back collection as well.