Speedmaster anomaly?

Ever since I first began my interest for the Speedmaster Moon watch, I asked myself: surely, given the importance of timing, NASA would have built timing modules into the space suits...a couple of stopwatches, mission timer etc...probably in a specially designed nylon housing with ultra large dials and indices, hands and pushers, backlight etc. It seems a little illogical that NASA would say: oh, we need a timer for EVAs, lets just buy a watch off the shelf...

After using the Speedmaster in space twice (Gemini 12; Apollo 11) Buzz Aldrin gives us a first-hand insight as to the effectivenes of the Speedmaster as a space watch:

"I had a watch on but I don't think I looked at it. Which would probably say that I should have had it set at something so that it was just not a normal time going around, but going from some specific...It was a lousy watch to have on the surface. It just didn't give good numbers as far as a stopwatch type thing. To have gone to all that expense and then to have crews out on the surface with just an ordinary watch, in retrospect, is a mistaken priority somewhere." Source: http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.evaprep.html

And upon completing the EVA on the lunar surface (closeout):

111:34:43 Aldrin: I think my watch stopped, Neil.
111:34:46 Armstrong: Did it? (Pause)
111:35:01 Aldrin: No it didn't, either. (Garbled) second hand. (Pause)
Source: http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.clsout.html

Thinking about it logically, a regular watch worn outside the space suit must have been difficult to read, to say the least. Buzz Aldrin appeared to have problems reading his. In shadow - impossible. Pressing the pushers must have been a problem too, but I am not that sure they were used while "moon-walking". Muliple timing tasks - forget about it.

But, (amazingly to me) - NASA has stuck to off-the-shelf Omegas since. That's great for us who "dig" the whole moon-watch story, but has anybody else ever wondered at the "anomaly" of NASA using a regular sized, common-or-garden wristwatch (with a tachymeter scale ) as one of their most important pieces of EVA equipment, with essentally no development or change after 40 years?

Omega Speedmaster "Chronometer" donning & hacking, EVA preparation, Apollo 11 protocols

References to the implementation of the chronometers can be found during EVA preparations, i.e after the Eagle Lunar Module has landed.

The first reference comes on page Sur-27 of the Surface Checklist (at 106h49), where the begin donning the PLSSs (Portable Life Support System or backpack) and the Oxygen Purge Systems (OPSs). Chronometers are fitted to the RH gloves, which at this stage are not donned:




Page SUR-37 mentions the chronometer on the RH gloves:




The gloves themselves are donned at 108h42:


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Prior to the EVA, hacking of the chronometers takes place:


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And a little later:


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And the rest, as they say, is history...

References/Credits:

http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.evaprep.html

http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/surface11.html

An Omega Speedmaster in Paris...

Not quite a Seiko, but I thought I would share a few Speedmaster momements in Paris ...


Disneyland Entrance. The Speedy came in useful to time the wait for rides: typically 1-1½ hours.


Somebody left this standing after the World Fair over a hundred years ago and never bothered to remove it. Two hour wait to get to the second floor. If we had wanted to get to the top the 12h chrono on the Speedy would have been useful.


View of the city from Sacre Couer. Strap change in honour of the solemnity of the situation.


Champs Elysees, after breakfast at MacDonalds (what can I say, my kids are 14, 10 and 9). Out of the corner of my eye, my mouth stuffed with Bacon MacMuffin, I espied the Omega sign...


Omega, Paris. Moonwatch exhibition (right), Constellations (left) and youths wondering who JFK was . Friendly staff (hidden, center) had seen me dribble at the Moonwatch exhibition, and noticeing my Speedy, had unlocked the security doors to give me some Moonwatch "stuff" and invite me inside. I sensibely declined 


Notice the cigarette nonchalantly poised behind my ear. I am a great believer of blending in with the locals, and grew my moustache at the age of 12 in anticipation of this trip 


My son, wondering what we would be having for lunch.


_{Moonwatch exhibition, with my first sighting of the brown dial Speedy Pro. It was fun to see - I wonder if the astronauts ever really stood on top of the landing module, though? I had a brief vision of Buzz Aldrin standing on the roof to take a leak, but immediately banished that thought as entirely inappropriate...}


The 40th Anniversary - pictured during the 40th Anniversary  Expensive.


The limited-to-69-pieces platinum 40th Anniversary. The number at the bottom left is not the telephone number.


Say no more. A striking contrast to the watch I had seen the previous day in the museum at Coulommiers:


 No platinum here - the movement is made of....wood!

After all that excitement, an espresso was in order...

Omega Speedmaster on NATO straps

Not quite a Seiko - but the Speedmaster is one the the 10 ultimate tool watches. A tool watch can be defined in many ways, of which mine is "a watch that looks good on a NATO-G10" (as issued to the British MOD, NATO stock number Army/Navy (6645-99-124-2986) & RAF (6645-99-527-7059)).


If anyone is considering NATOs I hope this will help you decide one way or another, but for daily wearing the standard issue 20mm admiralty grey NATO is sure hard to beat...

Standard issue 20mm admiralty grey





Green




Sand




Black





GasGasBones NASA-issue "Flight Qualified":






Travellers set - a NATO for all occasions!

Omega Speedmaster: Chronometer donning & hacking, EVA preparation, Apollo 11 protocols

Not Seiko, but the next best thing:

Omega Speedmaster cal 861 "Moon Watch" - first watch on the moon.

References to the implementation of the chronometers can be found during EVA preparations, i.e after the Eagle Lunar Module has landed.

The first reference comes on page Sur-27 of the Surface Checklist (at 106h49), where the begin donning the PLSSs (Portable Life Support System or backpack) and the Oxygen Purge Systems (OPSs). Chronometers are fitted to the RH gloves, which at this stage are not donned:






Page SUR-37 mentions the chronometer on the RH gloves:








The gloves themselves are donned at 108h42:






Prior to the EVA, hacking of the chronometers takes place:







And a little later:







And the rest, as they say, is history...



References/Credits:


http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.evaprep.html


http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/surface11.html