April 29th, 2026
The First Astronaut Watch: the LeCoultre Quartermaster
The Artemis II mission was the first manned spaceflight to the moon in nearly 54 years and the first of 4 total planned manned missions to the moon as part of the Artemis program. Since the last time mankind travelled to the moon, the official equipment for the astronauts remains a watch that needs no introduction, the Omega Speedmaster. It has since been upgraded to the newer X-33 'Skywalker' model, but even that change occurred 28 years ago. Despite this impressive longevity, it was not the first wristwatch issued by NASA, that honor belongs to the subject of this article: the Lecoultre Quartermaster.
Artemis II crew – (from left) Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman
Image Credit: NASA - Artemis II Multimedia
- Introduction
- Early Military Space Projects
- Formation of NASA
- Quartermaster Specifications
- Conclusion
Table of Content
Early Military Space Projects
In the aftermath of World War II, the United States Army was working on continued development of mobile communications devices, signal intelligence capabilities, and rocket propulsion. The convergence of these sought to develop intelligence earth-circling capabilities to prevent another Pearl Harbor scenario. In 1947, the Air Force was made an independent from the Army and began their own research into space capabilities. For the next decade, there would be progress made by both the Army and Air Force in developing satellite and launch capabilities but no unified plan existed for putting people in space. The Air Force would have Project Manhigh in the mid to late 1950s which would lead to their Man In Space Soonest (MISS) Program and the Army proposing their own Project Adam. Both aimed to put a man in outer space before the Soviet Union but neither would last long.
“Department of the Army’s Interest, Capability, and Role in Space,” published in 1959
Image Credit: Army University Press - Army Space Policy
Formation of NASA
In 1958, the Eisenhower Administration decided to separate the United States’ military and civil spaceflight programs by creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Air Force’s MISS program was replaced by Project Astronaut, which later became Project Mercury. The NASA Special Task Group (STG) would then look for a wristwatch that was not bound to the exact military specifications as the Army or Air Force (at the time, MIL-W-6433A and MIL-W-3818A). By 1959, they decided to equip the Mercury astronauts with a military inspired 24-hour dial wristwatch to match the tracking ground stations that used the 24-hour Zulu time scale and allow astronauts to quickly reference day/night time. Additionally, the watch needed to be antimagnetic, waterproof, and free of radioactive lume to avoid any additional exposure to radiation. The group ultimately chose a custom LeCoultre based on their US-market exclusive Quartermaster, a watch originally designed for those working in environments without access to daylight.
(from left front row) Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Scott Carpenter, Donald “Deke” Slayton, Gordon Cooper
(back row) Alan Shepard, Walter Schirra and John Glenn
Image Credit: NASA - 'The Road to Apollo – Project Mercury Begins'
Quartermaster Specifications
The LeCoultre Quartermaster featured a model specific movement which had the hour hand completing a single rotation in 24 hours (instead of the usual two). The 17-jewel hand-wound caliber K831/CW operated at 18,000 vibrations per hour and offered a 40-hour power reserve. This was paired with a 33.5mm stainless steel anti-magnetic case, a Plexiglass crystal, and a locking-ring case back for improved water resistance. The NASA issued watch featured a modified dial that was black with white painted Arabic numerals for the even hours and 5-minute intervals for legibility. The white sword hour and minute hands and straight seconds hand were also devoid of any luminescent material to meet the requirement to avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation.
(left) NASA issued Lecoultre Quartermaster, (right) Production Lecoultre Quartermaster
Image Credit: OnTheDash - 'Watch Spotting - John Glenn, the Mercury Era'.
Conclusion
The Mercury 7 astronauts would wear these watches during training and public relations events but it would ultimately never travel with them to space as they would rely on a mechanical clock within the cockpit similarly synced to Zulu time. Ultimately, the first Swiss wristwatch worn by a NASA astronaut into space would be a different bespoke 24 hour dial watch, the Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute Chronograph worn by US Navy Lt. Cmdr. Scott Carpenter. The sharp eyed among you may have noticed a version on the wrist of Reid Wiseman at the beginning of the article. For a complete listing of all watches that have gone to space, Robert Jackson's Watches Used In Space Exploration database is a great resource.
So while the Navitimer and especially the Speedmaster would become more closely associated with space travel, they were all preceded by the LeCoultre Quartermaster. Its story provides a fascinating look into the brief time period between the invention of jet powered flight and man’s first steps into space. With at least 3 more Artemis missions planned, we look forward to what new and exciting discoveries await the brave astronauts and of course we will be watching the wristwatches that will accompany them.
