Country of Origin: Switzerland
Dimensions:
3-D Test: 5.1 x 3.8 x 1.3cm (2 x 1 1/2 x 1/2 in.)
Materials:
Case: Stainless steel
Lens: Glass
Interior mechanism: Brass, stainless steel, jewels
Astronaut James Lovell, Commander of the Gemini XII mission in November 1966, wore this chronograph.
NASA chose the Omega Speedmaster Chronograph for the U.S. space program after a series of rigorous tests demonstrated its high level of precision and reliability. Program requirements called for a manual-winding wrist chronograph that was waterproof, shockproof, anti-magnetic, and able to withstand temperatures ranging from zero to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and accelerations of 12 g's. NASA certified the Omega Speedmaster for the Gemini program in June 1965, and successive purchases were made for both the Apollo and the Skylab/ASTP missions.
NASA transferred the astronaut chronographs to the Smithsonian in 1977.
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
