#datachron

55 years ago… Movado Datachron HS360 automatic chronograph In September 1970, Thomas Stafford, then Chief of the Astronaut Office (July 1969 - July 1971), gifted a Movado Datachron HS360 automatic chronograph to Gerald Carr. The Movado was an American market version of the Zenith “El Primero” and the reverse panda dial Movado Datachron HS360 was an excellent choice for a US Marine Corps aviator. Stafford was a wrist watch aficionado, would become Omega USA board member, and it’s a guess if this automatic chronograph was a late 38th birthday gift or a consolation gift, as Gerald Carr lost his place as Apollo 19 Lunar Module Pilot with Apollo 19 and 20 being cancelled. Both Gerald Carr and William Pogue were the first to wear an automatic chronograph as resident crew of the NASA Skylab space station during 84 days between November 1973 and February 1974. While Carr’s Movado Datachron had a date function, Pogue’s Seiko 6139-6005 had a day-date function realising two firsts for automatic chronographs being used in space! Although visible in SL-4 space station mission photos, these automatic chronographs can be best seen in the February 8, 1974 post-splashdown recovery photo series, with Carr and Pogue proudly wearing their personal automatic chronograph on their left-hand wrist aboard the US Navy amphibious assault ship/Heli-carrier USS New Orleans. (Photos: MoonwatchUniverse/NASA)

November 1973... Two automatic chronographs in space ! 50 years ago, on November 16, 1973, the third and final manned Skylab space station mission  SL-4 was launched. Besides their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster, each of the Skylab-4 astronauts took an extra wristwatch up to NASA’s space station, with William Pogue’s yellow dial Seiko Automatic 6139-6005 as the best-known example. However, SL-4 commander US Marine Corps LtCol Gerald Carr was seen wearing a blue dial reverse panda Movado Datachron HS360 automatic chronograph during training in 1972/1973. In this photograph, Carr during suit-up on launchday to NASA's Skylab space station, wearing the Movado underneath the space suit! In 2019 MoonwatchUniverse triggered the research into this amazing automatic chronograph, resulting in Hodinkee's article entitled "Snuck Into Space!" (Photo: NASA/MoonwatchUniverse)

50 years ago... Two automatic chronographs return from space ! February 8, 1974 as the third and final manned Skylab space station mission  SL-4 safely returned to Earth with a splash-down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Each of the Skylab-4 astronauts used an extra personal wristwatch during NASA Skylab training; Gerald Carr: Movado Datachron HS-360 automatic chronograph William Pogue: Seiko 6139-6005 automatic chronograph Edward Gibson: Omega Speedmaster Mark II chronograph We know for sure both Gerald Carr and William Pogue wore their automatic chronograph onboard the Skylab space station (Orbital Work Shop OWS) between November 1973 and February 1974. Carr's Movado chronodiver had a black & white bakelite bezel. Note SL-4 commander US Marine Corps LtCol Gerald Carr’s Movado Datachron had a reverse panda blue dial which over the years turned “chocolate” in the 2022 photograph! In 2019 MoonwatchUniverse co-authored the research into this amazing chronograph resulting in a  HODINKEE magazine article “Snuck Into Space!”. (Photos: NASA/HODINKEE)

November 1973... Two automatic chronographs in space ! 50 years ago, on November 16, 1973, the third and final manned Skylab space station mission  SL-4 was launched. Besides their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster, each of the Skylab-4 astronauts took an extra wristwatch up to NASA’s space station, with William Pogue’s yellow dial Seiko Automatic 6139-6005 as the best-known example. However, SL-4 commander US Marine Corps LtCol Gerald Carr was seen wearing a blue dial reverse panda Movado Datachron HS360 automatic chronograph during training in 1972/1973. In this photograph, the Skylab-4 crew shows Carr on the right, clearly wearing the Movado chronograph on his wrist, note the distinctive black & white bakelite bezel. In 2019 MoonwatchUniverse triggered the research into this amazing automatic chronograph, resulting in Hodinkee's article entitled "Snuck Into Space!" (Photo: NASA)

November 1973... Two automatic chronographs in space ! 50 years ago, on November 16, 1973, the third and final manned Skylab space station mission  SL-4 was launched. Besides their NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster, each of the Skylab-4 astronauts took an extra wristwatch up to NASA’s space station, with William Pogue’s yellow dial Seiko Automatic 6139-6005 as the best-known example. However, SL-4 commander US Marine Corps LtCol Gerald Carr was seen wearing a blue dial reverse panda Movado Datachron HS360 automatic chronograph during training in 1972/1973. In this photograph, Carr can be seen onboard Skylab space station with the Movado chronograph on his wrist, note the distinctive black & white bezel. In 2019 MoonwatchUniverse triggered the research into this amazing automatic chronograph, resulting in Hodinkee's article entitled "Snuck Into Space!" (Photo: NASA)

Snuck Into Space ...by Cole Pennington - HODINKEE magazine 8 The interesting story of a spaceflown Movado Datachron HS360 Automatic high frequency calendar chronograph onboard Skylab-4 mission between November 1973 and February 1974. NASA astronaut, USMC Aviator and Aeronautical engineer Gerald Carr snuck his personal Movado Datachon HS360 onboard the Skylab space station by wearing it on his ankle underneath the A7LB Pressure Garment Assembly spacesuit. His colleague William Pogue carried his personal Seiko 6139-6005 automatic chronograph in a leg pocket of his spacesuit. In this way, both Movado & Seiko had the first Automatic chronograph in space. Automatic chronographs were introduced in 1969 and Zenith used the Movado brand to sell watches in the USA. Initially named “Datachron”, the name was quickly changed into “Datron”. The Caliber 319 PHC (Power Hour-totalizer Calendar) automatic movement is the heart of these chronographs. A high frequency 36000 vibrations per hour movement, it is better known as the “El Primero,” a name marketed by Zenith, but in the Movado Datachron & Datron the date was placed at the 12 o’ clock postion. Movado enthusiasts might note how after 50 years the wonderful blue dial chronograph got an amazing “chocolate” patina ... a true gem ! (Photo: HODINKEE magazine - with permission)

After 10 hours of pipetting, I just had to, okay? :’P Thanks so much for the piece, I love it <3

Well, only way to find out is by trying.