UPDATE: Click here to view Jean-Loup Chretien wearing the watch.
French cosmonaut Jean-Loup Chrétien's flown Omega Speedmaster Professional wristwatch, serial number 39185737, worn on the Mir space station during the Aragatz mission, November 26–December 21, 1988. Chrétien flew to Mir aboard Soyuz TM-7 and returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-6. The iconic timepiece is a black-faced, stainless steel chronograph, manual wind wristwatch powered by a caliber 861 movement, with a Hesalite crystal, solid case back, black tachymeter bezel and sub-dials, and luminous hour markers. Engraved on the case back is "Flight-Qualified by NASA For All Manned Space Missions / The First Watch Worn on the Moon." The watch is on a standard Omega stainless steel bracelet. In overall fine condition, with a few small scuffs to the crystal and bracelet from use. Accompanied by a letter of provenance signed by Jean-Loup Chrétien, certifying that this was his personally-worn Omega 'Moonwatch' from the Aragatz mission, as well as two photographs of the Aragatz mission signed in black felt tip by Chrétien (with pre-printed signatures of the other crewmen), and a photo signed by the Soyuz T-6 crew (Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Aleksandr Ivanchenkov, and Jean-Loup Chrétien), also signed on the reverse by Chrétien. Omega confirmed the watch was sent to Moscow on 9 December 1976 and it is indeed a ST 145.022 with a caliber 861, serial number 39185737.
Chrétien flew to the Mir space station as part of a three-man crew on Soyuz TM-7, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on November 26, 1988. They docked with the space station on November 28th, and entered Mir, joining the three crewmen already on board. A highlight of the Aragatz mission was an EVA performed by Chrétien on December 9th, the first spacewalk conducted by someone not from the Soviet or U.S. space programs. During the spacewalk, Chrétien installed handrails and the 'Échantillons' experiment rack outside Mir. Then, he and Alexander Volkov assembled the experimental deployable structure known as ERA. The EVA lasted for 5 hours and 57 minutes.
Commonly known as the 'Moon Watch,' the Omega Speedmaster Pro underwent exhaustive testing by NASA during the 1960s—assorted wristwatches were exposed to environmental conditions ranging from 0 to 200 °F, tested under 95% humidity for ten-day periods, endured bursts of high acceleration and shock forces, and experienced severe air pressure and vibration trials. After three years of extreme testing, the evaluation concluded in March 1965 with the selection of the Speedmaster, which survived the tests while staying accurate within five seconds per day. Though most often associated with the Apollo program, the Omega Speedmaster has become one of the most iconic timepieces ever created and has found use amongst astronauts, cosmonauts, and spationauts alike. Swiss-made, American-proved, and French-worn on Russian spacecraft, this watch represents a pinnacle in space collecting.
