Okay, so let’s talk about this whole Dave Scott and the Omega watch thing. I was digging around the internet, trying to figure out why this astronaut, Dave Scott, didn’t stick with his Omega during that Apollo 15 mission. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole, I gotta tell ya.
So, first off, I started reading up on the whole NASA and Omega deal. Apparently, back in the day, Omega Speedmasters were the go-to watches for astronauts. NASA chose them cause they were tough and worked well in space. These watches were a big deal, the first ones worn on the moon and all that jazz.
But here’s where it gets interesting. I found out that astronauts could take personal stuff with them. And Dave Scott, he brought along a Bulova watch. Not just any watch, but a special chronograph, which, at the time, was an American-made watch. This is important, as you will see later.
Now, during the mission, something happened to Scott’s Omega. Some reports say the crystal, you know, the glass part, just popped off. Don’t ask me how, space is weird, I guess. Anyway, Scott ended up wearing his Bulova for the rest of the mission, including when he was driving that moon buggy thing, the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
- Started by researching NASA’s choice of watches for astronauts.
- Found out Omega Speedmasters were standard issue due to their durability.
- Learned that astronauts could bring personal items, including watches.
- Discovered Dave Scott brought a Bulova chronograph as his personal watch.
- Read that Scott’s Omega watch had an issue during the mission – the crystal popped off.
- Confirmed that Scott wore his Bulova for the remainder of the mission, including lunar EVAs.
I also stumbled upon some info about Bulova trying to get NASA to use their watches instead of Omega. Seems there was a bit of a watch rivalry going on. No luck for Bulova at the time, though. NASA stuck with Omega, cause, well, it worked.
And get this, that Bulova watch Scott wore? It was auctioned off later for a crazy amount of money. Over a million bucks! People are wild about space stuff, huh?
Wrapping it Up
So, in the end, it looks like a simple story. Scott’s Omega had a hiccup, so he switched to his personal Bulova. It became a piece of history, the second watch worn on the moon, and a collector’s dream. I guess sometimes, even in space, your backup plan comes in handy. And yeah, this whole thing might have been hyped up to sell more watches, but hey, it’s a cool story, right?
