Here's The Skinny on the X-15 Program watches...
Dec 26, 2017 23:44:58 GMT -8
Post by Accutronitis on Dec 26, 2017 23:44:58 GMT -8
This Bulova information is from The Caveman's Watch Forum and is authored by Caveman001 the site owner and operator, Caveman001 researched this information on his own and completely independent of my own research on this subject, Our findings on this subject are nearly exactly the same !!!
(Caveman)
As far as I can tell...
Disclaimer: While I've spent several hours researching this, I still can't back up every detail here. But my confidence level is ~ 98% that it went down this way:
The first powered flight of the X-15 was on 17 September 1959. The first flight of the "operational version" (with the XLR-99 rocket engine) took place on 15 November 1960.
The watch (that would become) The Astronaut was first released as a 1962 model. That means it would almost certainly have been available by the fall of 1961. Sometime between late '61 and early '62 NASA procured an example for every X-15 pilot, and they were Official Issue for the missions. Bulova was quick to capitalize on this. However! The 1962 models apparently did not say "ASTRONAUT" on the dial. Which makes sense, as it was not until Flight 62, on 17 July 1962, that Robert White took the X-15 to an altitude (59.6 mi or 95.9 km) that NASA considered to be "Space". This was Big News back in The Day...
And, yup, White was indeed wearing his trusty Bulova when he became the first person to pilot a winged plane into space:
Bulova added the "ASTRONAUT" on the dial to commemorate (and further capitalize) on this event. Apparently this was done for the 1963 model year. Some say it was a running change for 1962, but I consider this to be bullshit highly unlikely. I was unable to turn up a M2 watch so marked, anyway. If they exist, I'm betting they are frankenwatches. Whistling... In fact, M2 models are scarce as hen's teeth, and M3 models only slightly less so. Sales of the Astronaut didn't shoot into the stratosphere (pun intended) until 1964.
And they did go ballistic! As far as I can tell, the Astronaut was THE top-selling Accutron model, though the Spaceview was not far behind.
Anyway. If anyone has further details, I'd love to hear 'em. But, again, AFAICT that's pretty much how it went..
Cheers!
2017-02-04 Addendum:
Following its adoption by the X-15 program, the Accutron Astronaut was selected for the CIA's A-12 strategic reconnaissance program. All A-12 pilots were issued an Accutron Astronaut, which was worn in a small pocket on the left-hand glove of the pilot's pressure suit. As stated by CIA pilot Frank Murray, the Accutron Astronaut was "the only watch that could sustain reliable operation in the A-12 cockpit environment", and was impervious to the 140F temperatures experienced inside the A-12 cockpit.
Many thanks to flasharry for bringing this to my attention.
(Caveman)
As far as I can tell...
Disclaimer: While I've spent several hours researching this, I still can't back up every detail here. But my confidence level is ~ 98% that it went down this way:
The first powered flight of the X-15 was on 17 September 1959. The first flight of the "operational version" (with the XLR-99 rocket engine) took place on 15 November 1960.
The watch (that would become) The Astronaut was first released as a 1962 model. That means it would almost certainly have been available by the fall of 1961. Sometime between late '61 and early '62 NASA procured an example for every X-15 pilot, and they were Official Issue for the missions. Bulova was quick to capitalize on this. However! The 1962 models apparently did not say "ASTRONAUT" on the dial. Which makes sense, as it was not until Flight 62, on 17 July 1962, that Robert White took the X-15 to an altitude (59.6 mi or 95.9 km) that NASA considered to be "Space". This was Big News back in The Day...
And, yup, White was indeed wearing his trusty Bulova when he became the first person to pilot a winged plane into space:
Bulova added the "ASTRONAUT" on the dial to commemorate (and further capitalize) on this event. Apparently this was done for the 1963 model year. Some say it was a running change for 1962, but I consider this to be bullshit highly unlikely. I was unable to turn up a M2 watch so marked, anyway. If they exist, I'm betting they are frankenwatches. Whistling... In fact, M2 models are scarce as hen's teeth, and M3 models only slightly less so. Sales of the Astronaut didn't shoot into the stratosphere (pun intended) until 1964.
And they did go ballistic! As far as I can tell, the Astronaut was THE top-selling Accutron model, though the Spaceview was not far behind.
Anyway. If anyone has further details, I'd love to hear 'em. But, again, AFAICT that's pretty much how it went..
Cheers!
2017-02-04 Addendum:
Following its adoption by the X-15 program, the Accutron Astronaut was selected for the CIA's A-12 strategic reconnaissance program. All A-12 pilots were issued an Accutron Astronaut, which was worn in a small pocket on the left-hand glove of the pilot's pressure suit. As stated by CIA pilot Frank Murray, the Accutron Astronaut was "the only watch that could sustain reliable operation in the A-12 cockpit environment", and was impervious to the 140F temperatures experienced inside the A-12 cockpit.
Many thanks to flasharry for bringing this to my attention.