No speedy at the smithsonian

[M.Photog]

The recent threads about the Apollo moon landings got me thinking about my recent trip to DC and my astonishment with the fact that there is no speedy pro as part of the Apollo exhibit at the air and space museum. They have a nice display of almost every imaginable thing that the astronauts used on the missions but still no speedy:-(.
I have given this some though and it seems like something should be done to correct this injustice.
My proposal is this. An effort should be made to lobby the museum to include a watch from NASA in the collection if one is available. We all know the the Buzz Aldrin watch was lost or stolen but it seems like another one should be out there some where.
If that does not work then a fund should be established to acquire a speedy of the proper vintage on the open market to be included in the exhibit. An account could be opened where interested individuals could donate until there was enough money to make such a purchase. I'm not certain how something like this could be be administered.
How much would such a watch cost and where would be the best place to buy it.
It is very possible that I am putting way to much significance on this but as I was looking at the Apollo display it just did not seem right that the only speedy in sight was on my wrist.


Your thoughts.....:think::think::think::think:

If it turns out that I am the village idiot I can live with that:-d:-d:-d:-d

[ferrariman]

I agree. We have a speedy on display here in Dallas shown with Apollo 7 AS-205 Block 2 (Schirra, Cunningham, Eisele) capsule. I am very surprised that the "smith" doesn't have one. Does anyone know if they have one shown for the 13 display in Kansas?

[M.Photog]

I agree. We have a speedy on display here in Dallas shown with Apollo 7 AS-205 Block 2 (Schirra, Cunningham, Eisele) capsule. I am very surprised that the "smith" doesn't have one. Does anyone know if they have one shown for the 13 display in Kansas?

I am by no means an expert on the history of where all of the Apollo Speedys ended up. I did see an article once, perhaps by the late Chuck Maddox that told about the location of many of them. I just had a really empty feeling when there was not one there:-( Someone on this forum had told me that they looked when they visited so I was not surprised.

[2premo]

last year when I went I was dissapointed to not see even one

[Joe K.]

I have been to the Smithsonian 3 times in the past couple of years and there were no Speedmasters on display. In fact the only watch related item in the Smithsonian is the Orbitor 3:

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t178/theonlyeasydaywasyesterday/DSCN3284.jpg

believe there is a big display of SPeedmaster at the Cosmosphere in Kansas.

[Presario]

That is so interesting. I'm gonna write to them to see why they don't have one. The Speedy is an essential part of space history.

[M.Photog]

That is great. Let us know what you find out.

[HoustonChris]

It does seem wrong not to have the moon watch at the Smithsonian, doesn't it? On the other hand, if you go to the Johnson Space Center down here in Houston, they're everywhere- Omega sponsors the Visitor's Center. There are giant Speedy Pros for wall clocks, there are watches worn by a few different astronauts, including Sally Ride's, and there's even a small display giving the history of the torture testing that led to the selection of the watch by NASA for the space program. Here are a couple of terrible cell phone pics:

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh114/clevans9250/nasa%20pics/SSPX0125.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh114/clevans9250/nasa%20pics/SSPX0126.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh114/clevans9250/nasa%20pics/SSPX0124.jpg

I suppose you could get your space program/museum/Omega fix here...

[M.Photog]

Thanks for posting that information. Now I have a reason to visit Houston:-). It doesn't seem right, maybe some pressure could be brought against Omega to donate something for the Smithsonian. Perhaps a petition from the members of this forum would help:think::think::think:

[bartwatkins]

Here is a picture of the gigantor-sized Speedmaster that is on display at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. My wife took this picture at my son's Space Camp graduation ceremony last April or May. Anyway, I don't know for sure but don't think that they have any actual Omega Speedmasters (worn by Astronauts) at the musuem. Just this but I am pretty sure that this baby actually works and keeps time too.
Bart
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp333/bartwatkins_photo/All%20Watches/69823906515_0_BG.jpg

[Joe K.]

Looks like a redial to me....;-):-d

Here is a picture of the gigantor-sized Speedmaster that is on display at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. My wife took this picture at my son's Space Camp graduation ceremony last April or May. Anyway, I don't know for sure but don't think that they have any actual Omega Speedmasters (worn by Astronauts) at the musuem. Just this but I am pretty sure that this baby actually works and keeps time too.
Bart
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp333/bartwatkins_photo/69823906515_0_BG.jpg

[M.Photog]

We were there in 1994 or so and did not see that. I don't recall anything Omega related, but I wasn't bitten by the bug until years later...



Here is a picture of the gigantor-sized Speedmaster that is on display at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. My wife took this picture at my son's Space Camp graduation ceremony last April or May. Anyway, I don't know for sure but don't think that they have any actual Omega Speedmasters (worn by Astronauts) at the musuem. Just this but I am pretty sure that this baby actually works and keeps time too.
Bart
http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp333/bartwatkins_photo/69823906515_0_BG.jpg

[Ozz]

There is one in the London Science Museum. Not a 321 though and with a velcro strap with a BIG plastic black/gold OMEGA name on it. Never saw *that* on an astronauts wrist.

Can't blame them for providing a display Speedmaster and put some extra commercial spice on it though.

This museum has a really great Space/Apollo permanent exhibition by the way.

[spedydemon]

Aww joe your post with the giant speedmaster and then your pic of your signature! when you put them together its so funny

[M.Photog]

There is one in the London Science Museum. Not a 321 though and with a velcro strap with a BIG plastic black/gold OMEGA name on it. Never saw *that* on an astronauts wrist.

Can't blame them for providing a display Speedmaster and put some extra commercial spice on it though.

This museum has a really great Space/Apollo permanent exhibition by the way.


I would like to see that. I am amazed to learn of the Omega presence in so many other exhibits but not the Smithsonian:-(

[_Tammo_]

Just to update this old thread……

Me too , when visiting the Smithsonian Air & Space museum was disappointed not to see a Speedmaster ( nor any other watch) .
Until today, when we decided to visit also the annex of the museum near Washington Dulles International Airport.

It’s called the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. see here: http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/onview_uhc.cfm

It is certainly worthwhile to drive the 30-35 km from Washington DC and visit that museum. It is a kind of overflow for all the material not fitting in the main building.

To my surprise I found there the Speedmaster issued to Micheal Collins of Apollo 11.
It has a lot of scratches and also doesn’t reset the hour (12) properly anymore.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Shturmanskie/Omega/collins1.jpg


http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/Shturmanskie/Omega/collins2.jpg


There is also a Heuer stopwatch on display, as used by Mission Control to time the final seconds of the breathtaking decent of the Apollo 11 whilst almost running out of fuel.

Also I was very surprised that, for an American museum, there is so much Russian Space artifacts on display.

Tammo

[Peter C]

The Smithsonian actually has the majority of the available 60's Speedys, but they are kept in their storage vaults - I suppose it would need a specific display to enable them to bring any of them out. They store a lot more stuff than they are capable of displaying at any one time - stock rotation for displays would be the idea probably.

[Nalu]

Not a single watch (as of a couple of weeks ago), but one mention and lots of photos.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/ColMiller/Washington%20DC/sLunarExplorationKit1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/ColMiller/Washington%20DC/sBeanPainting2.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/ColMiller/Washington%20DC/sSpeedyPhoto1.jpg

[joe band]

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/ColMiller/Washington%20DC/sBeanPainting2.jpg

nalu,
i love your artwork, though didn't neil take his speedy off before stepping out of the capsule?