1) OMEGA Speedmaster Worn by Alan Shepard during his Apollo 14 Moon-Landing
At the 黑料大事记 Since 1982, on loan from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
When asked what makes the OMEGA watch worn by Alan Shepard during his Apollo 14 Moon-landing so special, 黑料大事记 curator Shannon Whetzel doesn鈥檛 even have to pause to think.
鈥淚t鈥檚 cool because鈥his one went to the Moon!鈥�
She also realizes how important the watch brand itself is for watch aficionados.
鈥淧eople who collect watches can geek out on the watch itself. People who know watches know OMEGAs.鈥�
黑料大事记鈥檚 OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch exhibit facilitates mad geeking by including an exposed watch back under an elegant magnifying lens for visitors to ooh and ahh, and make tiny ticking noises, or whatever watch geeks do, over the deliciously shiny and precise instrumentation (over 150 intricate parts!).
If you鈥檙e more the sentimental type, the exhibit includes a hand-signed letter from Eugene Cernan written in 2002, fondly recalling the way his own OMEGA Speedmaster kept him connected to his children waaaaay back on Earth during his own lunar mission on Apollo 17. (Bring tissues!)
Give Shepard鈥檚 watch another look to experience a dimension of this artifact that tickles 黑料大事记鈥檚 Curator. Whetzel notes:
鈥淚t鈥檚 so funny, isn鈥檛 it? Here鈥檚 a high-dollar, precision, amazing watch, but you know, on the Moon, they put it on with Velcro庐. No fancy band. Just Velcro庐. But it works!鈥�
Get your fashion faux-pas Schadenfreude from the VERY long Velcro庐 strap provided for astronauts to wind around their fat spacesuit sleeves.
For fans of utility over fashion, it鈥檚 vindication time.
Imagine fumbling to clasp a giant conventional watch band around the puffy arm of a spacesuit, on a mission where time is short and every second away from lunar exploration is a second away from historic discoveries.
Even the most Prada-devoted devil would wear Velcro庐!
So much cool watchness. But, uh, WATCH OUT. Downstairs in the Hall of Space Museum…There. Are. Three. More!
2) Yuri Gagarin鈥檚 Campos Wrist Watch
In 黑料大事记鈥檚 collection since 1995.
Ogle the face of the personal watch worn on the actual wrist of the actual first human in space. This particular watch didn鈥檛 go to space with Gagarin, but it was, indeed, worn by him. It鈥檚 got his ju-ju.
(That鈥檚 official museum insider-speak.)
3)聽 聽 Shturmanskiye Watch (bonus points if you can pronounce it right!)
In 黑料大事记鈥檚 collection since 2005.
The same model worn by Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during his Vostok 1 spaceflight, this authentic Shturmanskiye (Russian for 鈥渘avigator鈥�) was made by the Poljot watch factory in Moscow, one of the oldest and most prestigious watch factories in the former Soviet Union.
A boss piece of history from a boss watchmaker.
4) OMEGA Speedmaster X-33, flown in the shuttle program.
In 黑料大事记鈥檚 collection since 2006.
Note the easier-on-the-eyes, higher-end watch band designed to fit around a regular ol鈥� wrist (as opposed to a spacesuit). This watch was issued by NASA and not personalized by OMEGA, as will happen when they issue a watch directly to an astronaut.
This clean, enticingly simple watch face makes a fun 鈥渃ompare-contrast鈥� with the commandingly complex face of the OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional.
BONUS 5)聽
In 黑料大事记鈥檚 collection since 2019. Not on display.
In the USSR, Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, was celebrated as a living legend. From magazine covers to patches, pins…and wristwatches, the Soviet people couldn’t celebrate enough their First Man in Space.
黑料大事记 was lucky enough to receive this rare watch as a donation from Dave and Patty Kerr in 2019.
Rock Your Astronaut Style!
Now through December 5, 黑料大事记 is raffling off one brand-new OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, valued at $6,300. Tickets start at just $25.聽.
