The Accutron...From the Rail Roads to Apollo Soyuz...

pdxleaf

The dials are really clean on these. After looking at a few (since you brought it to our attention) they almost look like redials. Must be the lack of lume. Plus the 218 movement is more robust. These will be a nice addition. Thanks again.

T TLIGuy

Here is a new one I had never seen before....

While not the same experiment, the set-up is similar to the Apollo 17 Heat Flow Experiment where a wrist watch was used for timing, but in this instance, an Accutron Rail Road watch was used for experiment timing.

Here is an image of the experiment taken onboard the Apollo capsule during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in July 1975.

Here is two images from the Electrophoresis technology: Experiment MA-01 report where I was able to locate information on the timing set-up.

After a quick ebay scan and payment of $110 this cool little watch is a great addition to the collection. This 1974 Rail Road Accutron is humming along nicely only loosing about 1 sec per day after all these years. While this case has a very slight variation from the one used, the dial set-up is the same as the experiment watch which seems to vary a bit over the different Rail Road models produced during this time period.

pdxleaf

Holy Smoly, Oly!

Many thanks for posting and joining. Seriously.

Are you aware of the decision process for choosing that particular watch?

Do you have photos of the watch that you'd be willing to share?

MrZZeroG

As crazy as it may seem, I own the watch in that picture. I worked in the NASA/MSFC Space Sciences Laboratory from 87-99 and it was given to me as a gift before I took an early retirement. I was looking online for photos of the electrophoresis unit and stumbled across this forum. I wish I could find that book that someone replied with as it looks amazing!

The band is something I just picked up - that was lost decade or so before I received it. I was there when we unscrewed it from the the payload…

Thanks for posting! Yea

pdxleaf

Would you photograph the caseback, rear of the watch?

Have you just changed batteries over the years or had it serviced? Any other stories from anyone who may have worked on the ASTP?

I recently bought a badge in an auctiin from the launch.. i believe it belonged to a [edit] Mr. Conran Nagel?

Edit: here's my watch. Looks like I'll need to start wearing it.

Your case is different and your date has a black background with white numeral. Yours also doesn't have 'Bulova' written on the dial. I guess i need to keep looking for the correct reference.