What Reference Speedmaster Timed the Engine Burn On Apollo 13?

d3adrock · Oct 12, 2020

Hi everyone, I hope this is in the right section.
Everyone know what references went to the moon on Apollo 11, but what reference was it that timed the Engine Burn On Apollo 13? I'd be very interested to know since it's always been that mission that captured my imagination more than any other since it's when the speedmaster actually was put to the test.
Any ideas?

abrod520 · Oct 12, 2020

Chronograph, Haise, Apollo 13: 105.012

https://www.si.edu/object/chronograph-haise-apollo-13:nasm_A19771180000

Chronograph, Swigert, Apollo 13: 105.012

https://www.si.edu/object/chronograph-swigert-apollo-13:nasm_A19771181000

Can;t remember whether it was Haise or Swigert who timed the burn, plus as I recall I think he was wearing two of them (borrowed one from another crew member) but you can probably find that out with a little Googling

Traveler · Oct 12, 2020

Swigert

TLIGuy · Oct 12, 2020

Traveler
Swigert

In episode 6 Earth in view from the fantastic podcast series 13 Minutes to the Moon Kevin Fong talks to Lovell about his wristwatch and the 14 second DPS engine burn.

I was curious if there was more to the story so I reached out to Kevin to ask him if he had more information regarding the use of Lovell's watch which is discussed twice in the episode. Kevin said that Lovell told him that his watch was the most recently serviced watch of the three crew watches and because of that Lovell believed his watch would be the most accurate of the three. Lovell in fact passes his Speedmaster to Swigert who times the 14 second DPS burn with Lovell's watch.

joe band · Oct 12, 2020

anyone know where jim lovell's watch is today?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/anthon...speedmasters-14-seconds-of-fame/#858a4e629b5a

this article states omega changed to the asymmetrical at NASA's request...? never heard that before.

watchyouwant · Oct 12, 2020

I remember that day in May 75 well. I was 26 years young and the World did hold his breath that day...... Everybody glued to TV sets. Same excitement when I watched the Moon landing......

TLIGuy · Oct 13, 2020

J joe band
anyone know where jim lovell's watch is today?

Lovell's Apollo 13 watch is one of a half dozen flown Speedmasters that went missing about 20 years ago while on loan to an institution outside of the NASM. Its current whereabouts is unknown.

MikiJ · Oct 13, 2020

TLIGuy
Lovell's Apollo 13 watch is one of a half dozen flown Speedmasters that went missing about 20 years ago while on loan to an institution outside of the NASM. Its current whereabouts is unknown.

A half dozen flown Speedmasters: Who would want those old watches? I'll only hear out the first few thousand who respond 😗

SkunkPrince · Oct 13, 2020

That article does not mention that General Stafford was president of Omega USA for a while.

calcheng · Oct 14, 2020

you really do learn something new everyday! Thanks for sharing this 😀 i thoroughly enjoyed reading it

maxbelg · Oct 14, 2020

I still think the 105.012 is underrated/underpriced. It's THE MOONWATCH with probably 10 astronauts wearing 105.012s out of the 12 who walked on the moon 😀. Then we have the Apollo 13 timing, again with a 105.012 which all 3 astronauts were wearing.....Why then is the 105.003 (which isn't even older than the 105.012) valued higher? I love the asymmetric case and think of it as an improvement on the early symmetric cases. Am I the only one rating the 105.012 higher than the 105.003?

padders · Oct 14, 2020

maxbelg
I still think the 105.012 is underrated/underpriced. It's THE MOONWATCH with probably 10 astronauts wearing 105.012s out of the 12 who walked on the moon 😀. Then we have the Apollo 13 timing, again with a 105.012 which all 3 astronauts were wearing.....Why then is the 105.003 (which isn't even older than the 105.012) valued higher? I love the asymmetric case and think of it as an improvement on the early symmetric cases. Am I the only one rating the 105.012 higher than the 105.003?

Because it looks nicer. End of.

maxbelg · Oct 14, 2020

padders
Because it looks nicer. End of.

Let's agree to disagree, I love the asymmetric case visually! It's something special not like all the other symmetric manual wind chronographs from the same era and it's a functional improvement too.

d3adrock · Oct 14, 2020

Any chance Jim Lovells speedy was a different ref from the 105.012?

Cenzo · Oct 14, 2020

Jim Lovells Apollo 8 watch used to be (and maybe still is) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Would he have a different watch for 13?
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/omega.html

TLIGuy · Oct 14, 2020

Cenzo
Jim Lovells Apollo 8 watch used to be (and maybe still is) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Would he have a different watch for 13?
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/omega.html

I know a lot of work has gone into cataloging, photographing, and documenting the Speedmasters in the NASM collection over the past few years. If the NASM updated database is correct it would be correct to say that Lovell’s Apollo 8 watch is still on display at the Museum of Science and Industry and that a different serial numbered (#70) watch was worn by Lovell on Apollo 13 and is currently unaccounted for.

EDIT - I forgot I had this image of the flown list of Speedmasters. Lovell wears #60 on Apollo 8 which is at the Museum of Science and Industry and wears #70 during Apollo 13.

maxbelg · Oct 14, 2020

d3adrock:
I believe it was a 105.012-66 CB. Have a look here and here.

TLIGuy · Oct 14, 2020

maxbelg
d3adrock:
I believe it was a 105.012-66 CB. Have a look here and here.

I would tend to agree with you. That is also the post that prompted me to follow up on the podcast information to get a better idea of how the whole timing event with Lovell’s watch occurred.

airansun · Oct 14, 2020

maxbelg
Am I the only one rating the 105.012 higher than the 105.003?

Yes

dscoogs · Oct 14, 2020

maxbelg
Am I the only one rating the 105.012 higher than the 105.003?

Not if it’s Buzz’s.

Actually, if I were to pick between Buzz’s 105.012 and EW’s 105.003 I am not 100% sure which one I would pick.

What Reference Speedmaster Timed the Engine Burn On Apollo 13?

d3adrock

abrod520

Traveler

TLIGuy

joe band

watchyouwant

TLIGuy

MikiJ

SkunkPrince

calcheng

maxbelg

padders

maxbelg

d3adrock

Cenzo

TLIGuy

maxbelg

TLIGuy

airansun

dscoogs

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