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Why The Speedmaster X-33 Matters

SpeedyPhill
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@TLIGuy
Interesting photo of hatch opening on January 24, 1998...
Soyuz TM-26: cosmonauts Pavel Vinogradov & Anatoli Soloyev were launched to the Mir space station in August 1997 and were already 172 days onboard the station. They made up the Mir-24 resident crew and Vinogradov remained 197 days in space
Checking Soyuz TM-26 walk-out photos we see Vinogradov wore a wrist watch on red strap on his right hand wrist but this was probably not an Omega X-33 Speedmaster... 👎 concluding the X-33 Speedmaster was taken in his TM-26 belongings ?
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1997_Aug5_TM26_.jpg

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1997_August05_TM26_B3.jpg

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1997_August05_TM26_B2.jpg
 
SpeedyPhill
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On the other hand...
We know TV-footage is sometimes "staged" after the crews actually already meet... and feel free they're ready to shoot the hatch opening
👎
 
T
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This is the question to resolve. When did the X-33s that were revealed publicly on March 25, 1998, get taken to Mir?

It is obvious that Vinogradov is wearing a Generation 1 X-33. I'm wondering if Mir 24 left the watch onboard after leaving mid-February 1998 with Mir 25 where Budarin and Musabayev later release it publicly in March 1998. That is unless, Budarin and Musabayev bring additional X-33 watches packed up for the reveal.

STS-79 is the last test of the X-33 prototype in September 1996. Soyuz TM-25 does not wear X-33s with Latzutkin wearing a standard Speedmaster. My thought is Soyuz TM-26 is the first time Comsonauts bring the X-33 up to Mir leaving them or returning with them.

SpeedyPhill SpeedyPhill
On the other hand...
We know TV-footage is sometimes "staged" after the crews actually already meet... and feel free they're ready to shoot the hatch opening
👎

To some extent they have, but after working with the STS-79 crew about the X-33 I think these hatch opening images are taken at the time it happen.
 
Mr Curta
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That business about only the first 100 Skywalkers having a 'Certified' engraving has got to be cobblers. I don't for one second believe that mine is from an early batch and I've seen far too many with a 'Certified' caseback for them to be that rare. I'd like to know the source for that snippet, possibly someone trying to inflate value. Rarity or not aside, it's quite nice having one 'Certified' and one 'Qualified'.

42059976620_55e2e53c36_b.jpg
 
duc
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Another source of the statement is the original article written by the OP and linked to the first post of this thread.

I also find it odd, since I've seen many pictures of case backs over the years, with the "incorrect" inscription. Nevertheless, Robert Jan B is a pretty reliable source.
 
befobe
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Mr Curta Mr Curta
poll of Skywalker owners.
Why not! Maybe more than 100 OF members have one certified...😲😲😲😲
 
Mr Curta
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duc duc
Another source of the statement is the original article written by the OP and linked to the first post of this thread.

I also find it odd, since I've seen many pictures of case backs over the years, with the "incorrect" inscription. Nevertheless, Robert Jan B is a pretty reliable source.
Unfortunately myths and legends abound when it comes to space watches, and the slightest inaccurate statement can turn into a widely held belief through online repetition, particularly when the originator appears to be an authority. For a long time many people were under the assumption that Dave Scott's 'back-up' watch that made it to the lunar surface was a Waltham timepiece thanks to a comment made by the astronaut himself prior to rediscovering the Bulova badged UG. Manufacturers seem to have little interest in correcting mistakes or misconceptions as it all raises their profile and some vocal commentators have obvious bias, repeatedly promoting their own favoured brands as the 'choice' of astronauts with little evidence that they were not provided by other means such as part of a covert marketing strategy.

Sometimes it is difficult to sift the fact from the fiction but it is always good to question and gather new evidence. For example, this has recently led to the long perpetuated myths around the first watch at the summit of Everest finally being put to bed.
 
SpeedyPhill
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@Mr Curta
That's why at MoonwatchUniverse, we only work with historic photographs... Already in the late 1980s and certainly early 1990s (about the Russian side) several articles have been published on wrist watches used during spaceflight missions.
These were published in aviation/spaceflight magazines and since the WWW era the "watch community" jumped on the subject.
For my meat I go to the Butchery, for my bread I go to the Bakery, for wrist watches in aviation/spaceflight I go for aviation/spaceflight sources 😁
 
duc
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All good points. Until I hear someone with more credibility speak on the topic, than Robert J, I am going to believe RJ.

Like politicians though, I reserve the right to revise and amend my comments 😜
 
Mr Curta
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I've not trawled through all of the 'certified' watches mentioned in this thread yet but i've asked the question of Skywalker owners elsewhere here and on another forum and it's currently returned about 3:1 'Certified' vs 'Qualified'. That's very surprising if there are only 100 'Certified' out there in total.
 
befobe
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Interesting. Not significant of course, but interesting. A bias could be that only people very fond of Skylwalker, and "happy" to get a "special" one have interest in answering a poll... But I say it again: why not a poll on OF?... Could be nice to have a larger sample... Is there a way to launch that? (except through a thread).

We could also have a look on the serial. What is the range for the Skylwalker? Are the "certified" at the beginning of that range?...
(Mine is 92106xxx.)
 
Mr Curta
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befobe befobe
Interesting. Not significant of course, but interesting. A bias could be that only people very fond of Skylwalker, and "happy" to get a "special" one have interest in answering a poll... But I say it again: why not a poll on OF?... Could be nice to have a larger sample... Is there a way to launch that? (except through a thread).

We could also have a look on the serial. What is the range for the Skylwalker? Are the "certified" at the beginning of that range?...
(Mine is 92106xxx.)
I asked the question here but have only received two replies, one of each.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/x-33-skywalker-owners-is-yours-certified-or-qualified.142903/
 
Mr Curta
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T TLIGuy
Wishful thinking of something to come? I really like the look of the X-33 Skywalker sans the hands.
What would be the point of the bezel?
Incidentally, this version has a curved digital display which I think looks rather better.
upload_2022-3-4_22-32-32.png
 
burnrbr
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Completed my X-33 collection journey with the pickup of my new Gen 3 Skywalker today. It joins my Gen 1 and Gen 2 X-33s. Fantastic daily. Even though it’s 45mm vs 42mm, it didn’t seem to wear that much bigger on wrist. Probably the same size as the G-Shocks I used to wear.

Was told by my OB that they hadn’t seen one in months and they weren’t able to order it anymore in their system. They had to do a store transfer to get me this one. Omega possibly getting ready for Gen 4?

F4C84FF8-C387-4B9B-8498-D7742B5F8D89.jpeg
 
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