Measuring time has been a critical factor in men's journeys into space, as it was also critical in man's early journeys across the oceans or the continents by railroad. Whether executing precise maneuvers or navigating the journey, it has been critical for space travellers to be able to time events and to know the time of day (in a realm in which there are no days). Conditions demand timepieces that will be rugged, reliable and precise, and easy to read and operate. Those who are interested in the history of space travel, and those who are interested in watches, have collaborated to identify the timepieces that were used on the space missions -- from the earliest Soyuz and Mercury missions to the current Space Shuttle and International Space Station. According to the conventional wisdom, (a) Yuri Gagarin, the first human to orbit the earth, wore a Russian-made chronograph (Sturmanskije), which became the first watch worn in space, and (b) Scott Carpenter, America's fourth astronaut, was the first to wear a Swiss (or non-Russian) watch in space. My research suggests that this conventional wisdom is incorrect, and in fact, John Glenn wore a Heuer stopwatch, strapped to his wrist, when he orbited the earth. Accordingly, the correct sequence of Astronauts, Spacecraft, Missions and Watches first worn in space is as follows:   Spacecraft / Astronaut / Date Accomplishment / Duration (HH:MM:SS) Watch Yuri Gagarin (USSR) / Vostok 1 / April 12, 1961 first man in space; completed one orbit of the earth Sturmanskije chronograph Alan Shepard (US) / Freedom 7 / May 5, 1961 first American in space; reached space, but did not orbit (00:15:22) unknown Gus Grissom (US) / Liberty Bell 7 / July 21, 1961 reached space, but did not orbit (00:15:37) unknown John Glenn (US) / Friendship 7 / February 20, 1962 first American to orbit the earth; three orbits (04:25:33) Heuer Stopwatch, Reference 2915A Scott Carpenter (US) / Aurora 7 / May 24, 1962 three orbits of the earth (04:56:05) Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaut Wally Schirra (US) / Sigma 7 / May 24, 1962 six orbits of the earth (09:13:11) Omega Speedmaster This webpage presents conclusive evidence -- based on photographs in the NASA archives, records of the flight, and current and previous exhibits that show John Glenn's watch -- that John Glenn wore a Heuer stopwatch on his journey into space. It is likely that collectors and enthusiasts will debate various aspects of this statement, including such matters as (a) whether a stopwatch is, in fact, a "watch"; (b) how and why this watch was selected for the mission; and (c) what were the "backup clocks" used on earlier and later missions. Others may question the importance of this stopwatch going into space, as compared with the Breitling and Omega chronographs used in the next missions. These are interesting matters for discussion -- at least among the small community that cares about the history of watches and chronographs, and particularly those worn in space. I am happy to introduce the "Heuer" name -- with its rich history and reputation in sports and scientific timing -- into this discussion (or perhaps we should call it the "space race"), and to present the information and images that I have gathered. I will leave it for our readers to discuss this information and to place it into its proper historical perspective. Jeff Stein, July 31, 2006. Special Thanks to the people who contributed to this article. First, to Sheldon Smith. He visited the San Diego Air and Space Museum, armed with a camera in his Treo phone, and brought John Glenn's stopwatch onto the Internet, through posting a message and some photos on TimeZone's TAG-Heuer discussion forum. Thanks to Hans Schrag, who remembered seeing this watch on display in late 1960's and provided information about this and other watches that may have been used on the early Mercury flights. Thanks to Chuck Maddox for providing information about the history of the Mercury and Apollo space programs (and the watches that were onboard), and for helping to unravel the mystery of John Glenn's Heuer. Thanks to Steve Smith, a UK Heuer collector, for providing photos of his Heuer Stopwatch, Reference 2915-A).

John Glenn, shortly before the launch of MA-6, walking from crew quarters to the vehicle that will transport him to the launch-pad. Note the Heuer stopwatch, on Glenn's right wrist / forearm. NASA caption: "View of Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr., Dr. William Douglas, Astronauts Flight Surgeon, and equipment specialist Joe Schmitt leaving crew quarters prior to Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) mission. Glenn is in his pressure suit and is carrying the portable ventilation unit." Date photograph taken -- 1962 February 20. Click to see the NASA caption and database information for this photo or to see a close-up view John Glenn's stopwatch.

NASA caption: "View of Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr., Dr. William Douglas, Astronauts Flight Surgeon, and equipment specialist Joe Schmitt leaving Operations and Checkout Building prior to Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) mission." Date photograph taken -- 1962 February 20. Click to see the NASA caption and database information for this photo.

NASA caption: "Overall view of astronaut John Glenn, Jr., as he enters into the spacecraft Friendship 7 prior to MA-6 launch operations at Launch Complex 14. Astronaut Glenn is entering his spacecraft to begin the first American manned Earth orbital mission." Click to see the NASA caption and database information for this photo.

Having now determined that John Glenn was wearing a Heuer stopwatch on his wrist during his flight, we should now address the more difficult questions: Why was he wearing this stopwatch? What purposes did it serve? In a capsule with sophisticated instruments, why was it necessary for John Glenn to strap a stopwatch to his wrist? In short, just what was he timing with this stopwatch? Perhaps we can begin to answer these questions by examining the instrument panel, to see what instruments were included in the Friendship 7 capsule (and what might have been missing). Above are diagrams of the Friendship 7 instrument panel, the top photo showing the entire instrument panel and the bottom photo showing the detail of the timing instruments. There are four timing instruments on the instrument panel of Freindship 7, as follows: Time of Day Clock (analog display; continuous clock, with no time in / time out capability); Time From Launch timer (digital display); timer showing Retrograde Time (digital display); and Time to Retrograde timer (digital display). Turning to the official transcript of pilot communications from the flight (shown below), we find some interesting evidence regarding the timing instruments aboard Friendship 7. The first communication from John Glenn following the launch, three seconds into the flight, confirmed that "The clock is operating". This is the familiar first communication after liftoff, and we see similar communications from astronauts on other flights (for example, on MA-8, Wally Schirra's first communication is "I have the liftoff. Clock has started"). Continuing with the transcript from MA-6, the next series of communications regarding timing / clocks comes 17 seconds after launch. The Capsule Communicator tells Glenn to standby for the 20 second mark, he then says "2 . . . 1, mark", in order to tell Glenn exactly when the 20 second mark is occuring. Glann uses this 20 second mark as the signal to start his backup clock, and he then confirms "Backup clock has started." (This is similar to communications with Schirra, on MA-7, when the Capsule Communicator instructs Wally Schirra to "standby for 20 seconds"; at the 20 second mark, Schirra confirms that "Backup started and runing good"; and Schirra then confirms back with a "hack" at the 30 second mark).

Time of Communication Duration of Communication (sec)   Communicator   Transcript Capsule Communicator 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . 0 00 00 03 4.0 Glenn Roger. The clock is operating. We're underway. 00 00 07 1.5 Capsule Communicator Hear loud and clear. 00 00 08 2.0 Glenn Roger. We're programing in roll okay. 00 00 13 3.5 Glenn Little bumpy along about here. 00 00 15 1.0 Capsule Communicator Roger. 00 00 17 2.0 Capsule Communicator Standby for 20 seconds. 00 00 19 0.5 Glenn Roger. 00 00 20 2.0 Capsule Communicator 2 . . . 1, mark. 00 00 23 3.3 Glenn Roger. Backup clock is started. 00 00 32 5.0 Glenn Fuel 102-101 [percent], oxygen 78-100 [percent], amps 27. 00 00 39 3.0 Capsule Communicator Roger. Loud and clear. Flight path is good, 69 [degrees]. 00 00 43 4.0 Glenn Roger. Checks okay. Mine was 70 [degrees] on your mark. 00 00 48 2.5 Glenn Have some vibration area coming up here now. 00 00 52 2.0 Capsule Communicator Roger. Reading you loud and clear. 00 00 55 4.0 Glenn Roger, Coming into high Q a little bit; and a little contrail went by the window or something there. 00 01 00 0.5 Capsule Communicator Roger.

But what was this "backup clock" that John Glenn started at the 20 second mark of his flight? Close inspection of the Heuer stopwatch that Glenn is wearing before the flight confirms that this Heuer stopwatch served as the "backup clock" for the flight. Looking carefully at the stopwatch, in the first two photos on this page, you will see that as Glenn walked to the capsule, the stopwatch was not set to zero, rather the second hand sits at the 20 second mark. (Details from these two photos are shown below.) So when Glenn confirms, at the 20 second mark of the flight, that he has started the backup clock, he is referring to the Heuer stopwatch strapped to his right wrist.

 

I have concluded that the official transcript of voice communications from the MA-6 mission, together with the photographs of John Glenn wearing the Heuer stopwatch as he approached and entered the capsule, establish conclusively that John Glenn used this Heuer stopwatch, Reference 2915-A, as the "backup clock" on the United States' first human orbital mission in space.

John Glenn's Heuer stopwatch is currently owned by the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum, located in Washington, D. C. Since at least September 2005, the stopwatch has been on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. The photograph above shows the stopwatch, as it is currently being displayed in San Diego. The description that accompanies the display is shown below. Questions have arisen as to how this stopwatch has recently appeared on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, but has not been displayed at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. in Washington, D.C. According to Hans Schrag, who worked for Heuer during the 1960's, this stopwatch was, in fact, on display in Washington, D.C. in the late 1960's. Before the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum had a permanent home (on the Mall in Washington), Hans visited a temporary display and was excited to see a display that included John Glenn's spacesuit and his Heuer stopwatch.

John Glenn's stopwatch appears to be a standard Heuer stopwatch, Reference 2915-A. The stopwatch is attached to the wriststrap by a cloth bezel (and perhaps some adhesive at the back); the wriststrap appears to be elastic.

Above is the description of this stopwatch, from Heuer's 1961-62 catalog, along with an illustration of the watch. How fitting that Heuer referred to this one as a "Long Range Timer". Shown below are photographs of two samples of this stopwatch. For additional photos of these stopwatches, including detailed photos of the case and movement, go to the Stopwatch Section of OnTheDash.com.

Resources
The Mercury Program
NASA website for the Mercury Program	a history of the Mercury Program, including photo Galleries.
This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury	excellent history of the Mercury Program; written in 1966, and now available online
MA-6 -- The United States' First Manned Orbital Mission
NASA's website for MA-6	the oficial NASA website for the mission
NASA's Report on MA-6	comprehensive report (PDF) covering the preparation for, and results of, the Mission; includes diagrams and descriptions of the capsule, and a complete transcript of air-ground communications during the flight
Collections of Photographs
GRIN (Great Images In NASA)	NASA's comprehensive library of images
JSC Digital Image Collection	A searchable collection of images, from NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Photos relating to MA-6	A collection of NASA's photos and captions relating to MA-6.
Watches in Space
Wristwatches in Space	Chuck Maddox' timeline detailing the watches that were used in the space missions.
Time in Space	An article by Steven J. Lundin, which appeared in International Wristwatch, Number 40 (1999).
Additional Information
Request for Information	If you can provide additional information regarding John Glenn and his Heuer, or other watches used on the early space msssions, please send an e-mail message to onthedash@bellsouth.net .