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1962 Accutron “Astronaut” advert. The watches have been launched in 1962 and initially didn’t carry the dial textual content “Astronaut”. Because the advert states, these watches have been issued to pilots within the X-15 hypersonic rocket-powered plane program. On 17 July, 1962 Robert M. White piloted an X-15 to an altitude of 59.6 miles. Within the US flight above 50 miles altitude certified a pilot to be awarded astronaut wings. Bulova added “Astronaut” to the dials of later watches.

On Might 15 and 16, 1963 astronaut Gordon “Gordo” Cooper (pictured above) piloted the Mercury-Atlas 9 mission in spacecraft Religion 7. He skilled a complete energy failure which knocked out his methods, together with the on-board clock which he had been utilizing to time his retro fireplace for re-entry. He was left to depend on the private timepieces he had taken on board, and updates from floor management. In his autobiography, “Leap of Religion,” he wrote, “Along with my Omega wristwatch which had misplaced time in the course of the heavy G hundreds I had skilled throughout liftoff, I used to be carrying an Accutron watch, which was nonetheless retaining correct time. I adopted the depend on it, ready to fireside alone if I misplaced contact with John [John Glenn].” The auto retro burn labored wonderful and Cooper piloted the spacecraft to probably the most correct of the Mercury splashdowns, 5 miles from the ready plane service.

The picture beneath exhibits Cooper carrying an Accutron Astronaut on this proper wrist and an Omega Speedmaster on the left.

(NASA picture).

1963 Accutron Astronaut advert.

1964 Accutron Astronaut “C” advert.

The 2 images beneath present astronauts Pete Conrad (at left) and Gordo Cooper (at proper) on the restoration plane service USS Lake Champlain on August 29, 1965, following their Gemini V mission. Cooper wears two watches, an Accutron Astronaut on his proper sleeve and an Omega Speedmaster on the left, as in his earlier Mercury flight. Conrad is carrying three watches, an Omega Speedmaster and a Glycine Airman on his proper sleeve and one other Speedmaster on the left. Astronauts Gus Grisssom and John Younger additionally wore Accutron Astronauts along with Speedmasters on their March 1965 Gemini III mission.

1965 Accutron Astronaut.

1969 Accutron Astroanut “T” advert.

1971 Accutron advert that includes an Astronaut “N”.

20 years after Cooper’s Gemini flight, astronaut Dr. Norman Thagard wore an Accutron Astronaut on his proper wrist and an Omega Speedmaster on the left in the course of the June 1983 STS-7 shuttle mission.