#microsonic

April 1967, Donald Slayton & his Bulova Accutron Astronaut Donald Deke Slayton was one of the original “Mercury 7″ astronauts and became NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut Office and Director of Flight Crew Operations, responsible for NASA crew assignments. Here Slayton is seen wearing his three line dial Bulova Accutron Astronaut tuning fork pilot watch. Deke Slayton was photographed wearing Accutron watches between 1964 and 1974. Read more on Accutron: MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “ ! (Photo: NASA)

Accutron Astronaut in hypersonic flight research 1961, USAF Robert White wearing the Accutron Astronaut pilot wrist watch during an X-15 test flight. A special 44 cm webbing band was made to wear the lightweight microsonic tuning fork watch at the forearm of the David Clark spacesuit. White made 16 flights, reaching Mach 6.0 and an altitude of 95 Km earning him USAF astronaut wings. Accutron stands for  “accuracy through electronics”  and these wrist watches were chosen by USAF, NASA and CIA pilots. By late 1962 the word Astronaut had been added on the dial to honor both the X-15 testpilots and the Mercury-7 astronauts. In fact, all Mercury astronauts received an Accutron wrist watch and at least 8 of the 12 X-15 testpilots, among whom Neil Armstrong, wore an Accutron GMT pilot watch during X-15 hypersonic research flights. Accutron watches were worn during Mercury-Atlas 9, Gemini III, Gemini V, STS-7 and STS-51D spaceflight missions. In August 1971, Moonwalker astronaut David Scott even wore a Bulova chronograph during the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. Read more about Accutron and space-flown wrist watches in MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “. (Photo: NASA)  

Accutron Astronaut in aviation and spaceflight August 1962, Mercury astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper photographed during a visit at Tinker AFB. All Mercury-7 astronauts received an Accutron microsonic tuning fork GMT pilot watch. In this photo Cooper wore a one line dial Accutron version. In May 1963, during Cooper’s “Faith-7″ mission, he wore a two-line Accutron Astronaut version… which he also wore on the August 1965 Gemini V mission. Accutron stands for  “accuracy through electronics”  and these wrist watches were chosen by USAF, NASA and CIA pilots. By late 1962 the word Astronaut had been added on the dial to honor both the X-15 testpilots and the Mercury-7 astronauts. In fact, all Mercury astronauts received an Accutron wrist watch and at least 8 of the 12 X-15 testpilots, among whom Neil Armstrong, wore an Accutron GMT pilot watch during X-15 hypersonic research flights. Accutron watches were worn during Mercury-Atlas 9, Gemini III, Gemini V, STS-7 and STS-51D spaceflight missions. In August 1971, Moonwalker astronaut David Scott even wore a Bulova chronograph during the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. Read more about Accutron and space-flown wrist watches in MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “. (Photo: NASA)    

July 1963... X-15 above 100 Kilometers Spaceflight missions are flown above the Karman line, an atmospheric boundary being 100 Kilometers and on July 19, 1963 testpilot Joseph “Joe” Walker flew the X-15 hypersonic research rocket plane to an altitude of 105 kilometers... so also the first time an Accutron Astronaut microsonic tuning fork pilot wristwatch was flown into space! Today Virgin Galactic’s sub-orbital flight might reach 90 kilometers, IMHO not high enough but in this day & age correct science & numbers aren’t so important for the international press. (Photo: NASA)

Accutron Astronaut GMT worn by CIA pilots Accutron stands for  “accuracy through electronics”  and these battery-powered crown-less wrist watches were chosen by USAF, NASA and CIA pilots. The latter could wear the Accutron Astronaut pilot watch while flying the Titanium-bodied Mach3+ Lockheed A12 Oxcart reconnaissance aircraft. CIA-pilots wore the David Clark S-901E model pressure suit which came with a wristwatch pocket & lid in the upper lefthand glove. The Accutron was introduced in October 1960 and by late 1962 the word Astronaut had been added on the dial to honor both the X-15 testpilots and the Mercury-7 astronauts. In fact, all Mercury astronauts received an Accutron wrist watch and at least 8 of the 12 X-15 testpilots, among whom Neil Armstrong, wore an Accutron GMT pilot watch during X-15 hypersonic research flights. Accutron watches were worn during Mercury-Atlas 9, Gemini III, Gemini V, STS-7 and STS-51D spaceflight missions. In August 1971, Moonwalker astronaut David Scott even wore a Bulova chronograph during the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. Read more about Accutron and space-flown wrist watches in MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “. (Photo: NASA)  

Accutron Astronaut in spaceflight May 1963, Mercury astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper is seen at the top of Pad 14 at Cape Canaveral looking over his one-man “Faith-7″ Mercury-Atlas spacecraft. Gordon Cooper choose to wear both his personal wrist watches, an Accutron Astronaut tuning fork GMT pilot watch at his right wrist and an Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 manual winding chronograph at his left wrist. Both watches had a Jacoby Bender Champion steel mesh bracelet and Cooper compared his timepieces during the 34 hours 3 min 30 seconds long mission. All Mercury astronauts received an Accutron wrist watch and at least 8 of the 12 X-15 testpilots, among whom Neil Armstrong, wore an Accutron GMT pilot watch during X-15 hypersonic research flights. Accutron watches were worn during Mercury-Atlas 9, Gemini III, Gemini V, STS-7 and STS-51D spaceflight missions. In August 1971, Moonwalker astronaut David Scott even wore a Bulova chronograph during the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. Read more about Accutron and space-flown wrist watches in MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “. (Photo: NASA)  

57 years ago… X-15 pilots received USAF “ Astronaut wings “ … August 5, 1965 X-15 testpilots LtColonel Robert Rushworth and Captain Joe Engle received their USAF astronaut wings as military pilots qualified as astronauts if they flew above 50 miles (80 Kilometers). Robert Rushworth flew a record 34 X-15 flights (June 1963 flight 87 above 50 miles) and Joe Engle flew 16 X-15 flights (June 1965 flight 138 above 50 miles). Note both testpilots wore an Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch. The battery-powered microsonic Accutron tuning fork wristwatch, brainchild of Max Hetzel, was introduced by Bulova  in October 1960. All Mercury astronauts and X-15 testpilots received an Accutron GMT pilot watch and by late 1962 the word “Astronaut” was added to the dial of the world’s most accurate pilot watches. Read more about Accutron & wrist watches in space in MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “. (Photo: NASA/USAF)

Gemini III mission and Accutron Astronaut pilot watches March 23, 1965 Gemini III astronauts John Young and Gus Grissom are readied in the two-men Gemini capsule. Note both astronauts wore the G3C Gemini spacesuit with basic NASA logo patch. It’s important to mention that both Gemini III astronauts wore a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronograph but also an Accutron Astronaut tuning fork pilot GMT wrist watch on steel mesh bracelet. Grissom wore the Accutron on his right wrist, Young wore the Accutron GMT pilotwatch on his left wrist. All Mercury astronauts received at least one Accutron pilot watch and the battry-powered microsonic tuning fork wrist watch was choosen by the USAF, NASA and CIA pilots as it was designed fit for purpose to be used in the cockpits of the brave new aviation/spaceflight world. Read more on Accutron: MoonwatchUniverse’s article series “ Of Time and Space “. (Photo: NASA)