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Project Apollo: The Apollo 7 mission and Speedmaster

Nov 19, 2018,08:45 AM

www.watchprosite.com

On October 11th 1968, the Apollo 7 mission began with a successful take off at 15:02 UTC. On board were Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham. It lasted for 10 days, 20 hours and 9 minutes.

The purpose of the mission was to test the newly modified CSM. This was extensively re-designed following the Apollo 1 tragedy.

In total 163 orbits were made around the Earth, before splash down in the North Atlantic on the 22nd October.

The Apollo 7 CM was launched into space on the Saturn 1B- SA205 rocket.

This was the first ever mission into space with a three man crew and also the first mission to beam back to Earth live pictures on television.

All the pilots wore the Speedmaster professional.

Donn Eisele wore two Speedmaster professional watches. The officially supplied watch was S/N 34. This watch was the ref. 105.012-65. He also wore another 105.012-65 but this was his own. NASA also gave this watch a serial number, which was unusual for an astronaut’s personal watch- S/N 38. This was sold by Sotheby’s.

Walter Cunningham also wore a reference 105.012-65, identifiable by the two step caseback.

Walter Schirra: hard to be definitive on this one. There is no records that I could find for this one, although from the shape of the lugs it does look like another 105.012-65. However, I cannot be 100% on it being a -65, althoughI am extremely confident it is a 105.012.

In summary:

Walter Cunningham: 105.012-65 (National Air and Space museum verified)

Donn Eisele: S/N 34 105.102-65 Recovered with NASA now S/N 38 105.012-65: Sotheby’s

Walter Schirra: 105.012 – derivative likely -65: UNVERIFIED