WATCH POP

Be sure to check out the hi-res pic of Neil w/ the hammer.


Neil (left) and Buzz during training in Houston. Note the OPS activator on the left side of Buzz's RCU mockup and the camera bracket on the front. Neil's pressure gauge and Omega watch can be seen on his right forearm. Journal Contributor Karl Dodenhoff notes that both Neil and Buzz are wearing protective covers on the front of the suit where we would normally see the various connection ports for oxygen and water. Photo is dated 23 April 1969 but was undoubtedly taken on 22 April 1969 during the "Lunar Timeline Demo for Dr. (George) Mueller". Scan courtesy NASA Johnson.
hi-res pic:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/ap11-S69-32234HR.jpg



Neil examines a rock sample during the Sierra Blanca trip. He is holding a geology hammer in his left hand and is wearing an Omega Speedmaster watch, which is showing a time of 1:07. 24 February 1969. Scan courtesy NASA Johnson.
hi-res pic:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/ap11-S69-25197HR.jpg




NASA supplied each of the Apollo astronauts with a standard issue Omega Speedmaster Professional manual-wind wristwatch (pictured above) together with Velcro strap. Unlike almost all other Apollo equipment, the watch was not manufactured for use specifically by NASA or in space but had been on sale in retail outlets in Houston and all of the United States from 1957-c1966 as the "Speedmaster" and as the "Speedmaster Professional" thereafter. Beginning in about 1962, NASA purchased examples of a number of commercially available watches for evaluation.

Aside from its primary and obvious function, the Omega Speedmaster Professional also incorporated a chronograph (stopwatch) via the large third hand on the watch dial. The three interior dials on the face provided respectively a) a second-hand, ancillary to the conventional time function b) a minute elapsed counter for the chronograph and c) an hour elapsed counter, again related to the chronograph function. The outside of the dial included a fixed bezel incremented to act as a Tachymeter (to measure miles per hour) in conjunction with the stopwatch function, hence the title "Speedmaster".
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/omega.html "Do you have any non-Fair-Trade coffee? I prefer to taste the exploitation." -- Mary (speaking to barista at Starbucks) Very interesting thanks for sharing !

In the second pic the chrono is on ... what was he measuring ? Chronoswiss Kairos Cronograph / UG 'Gilt Shadow' / Tissot vintage 1944 / Longines Conquest / Juvenia cal. 604 / Hamilton 'Thin-o-matic' / Omega DeVille Prestige Chronograph maybe he just didnt like a static second hand? unlikely I know, but I know some people are like that with there chronos.

Andrew ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small." great pictures thanks for sharing. Thanks for sharing. Cleaniness is essential when Godliness is improbable I never tire of seeing a speedy in action.
jim
Omega f300 Tuning Fork, Omega Speedmaster Professional "Snoopy Award" Limited Edition 3578.51.00, Porsche Design by IWC 3702, Omega Seamaster CK 2518 (c. 343), Breitling SuperOcean Steelfish A17360 Nice shots Kind regards, GJ