This chronograph was worn by astronaut Gordon Cooper, Commander of the Gemini V mission in August 1965. The Omega Speedmaster Chronograph was chosen by NASA for the U.S. space program after a series of rigorous tests demonstrated its high level of precision and reliability. Program requirements called for a manual-winding wrist chronograph that was water-proof, shock-proof, anti-magnetic, and able to withstand temperatures ranging from 0 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and accelerations of 12 g's. The Omega Speedmaster was certified by NASA as the chronograph for the Gemini program in June 1965, and was also purchased for all programs that followed through today.
NASA transferred the astronaut chronographs to the Smithsonian in 1977.
Credit Line:
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
