[GeorgeTs]

Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Okay I ask this seriously. It's not a "funny" thread.

What I have understood is that Speedmaster has manual winding and so it can work in space (zero gravity). Since Seamaster is basically the same watch but more waterproofed could it work on space? Or because it is automatic it can't work on space (because of the gravity)?

Or both Seamaster and Speedmaster have manual AND automatic winding? If it's a yes, then shouldn't both be able to work on space?

P.S. Please serious answers only.

 

[ryanmanyes]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

I guess it would either have to be manual or quartz

 

[ilitig8]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Yes, inertia.

 

[mleok]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

An automatic watch derives most of its winding from inertia effects, as opposed to gravity. Put another way, wear your watch so that the rotor is perpendicular to the direction of gravity, and jerk your hand, while keeping the rotor perpendicular to gravity. You'll hear the watch winding, even though the direction of gravity isn't changing in the frame of your watch.

 

[lvt]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Some astronauts wear Rolex watches in the space, does it answer your question ?

 

[mew88]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Not a physics person but even if the rotor doesn't work, most automatics can be handwound anyway.

 

[Domo]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

P.S. Please serious answers only.

Heading off to space soon?

 

[lvt]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Heading off to space soon?

In this case, he might just grab a G-shock, it's also qualified for flight.

 

[little big feather]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Many watches have been into space....A Towson Watch Co. was worn by a German Astronaut,it contained an ETA 7750.
He was on the space station for weeks and it worked fine.

 

[OH Redhawk]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Fortis Cosmonauts B-42 are used on the ISS. They are automatic.

 

[yankeexpress]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

FLIGHT-CERTIFIED BY NASA FOR ALL MANNED SPACE MISSIONS:

Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.50.00
FLIGHT-QUALIFIED BY NASA FOR SPACE MISSIONS:

Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33
Casio G-Shock DW-5600C
Casio G-Shock DW-5600E
Casio G-Shock DW-5900
Casio G-Shock DW-6900
Casio G-Shock Master of G G-9000
Timex IRONMAN Triathlon Data Link

 

[Mediocre]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Unless you are traveling into space soon, YSOSERIOUS?

 

[Jeffza]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Why do you ask? You headed that way sometime soon?

 

[lvt]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

FLIGHT-CERTIFIED BY NASA FOR ALL MANNED SPACE MISSIONS:

Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.50.00
FLIGHT-QUALIFIED BY NASA FOR SPACE MISSIONS:

Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33
Casio G-Shock DW-5600C
Casio G-Shock DW-5600E
Casio G-Shock DW-5900
Casio G-Shock DW-6900
Casio G-Shock Master of G G-9000
Timex IRONMAN Triathlon Data Link

Just to add a note, the Casio watches also work for unmanned missions.

 

[sleepyhead123]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Just remember that it also isn't just shock resistance. If the watch is going out of the vehicle, it needs to withstand significant temperature changes, as being in sunlight and being in a shadow easily can be over 200C variation. Your movement's ability to work under shock and zero gravity mean nothing if the materials expand and contract so much that they no longer fit.

I would think it would also need to be relatively airtight too, as once it goes out of the craft if the air is sucked out of the interior to run the chance of water crystals forming from the humidity of the air originally in the watch.

Granted a good number of watches made it out to space as baggage. I doubt many left their vehicle, and thus we didn't see if they could handle the temperature fluctuations. And if I were an astronaut, I sure wouldn't want to depend on a non-certified watch on a space walk.

 

[tony20009]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Much as I have several humorous replies in mind, I'll refrain from sharing them. <wink>

Some thoughts:

• The watch itself will work, but in all likelihood it will not retain its self winding functionality. The rotor, which is the bit that responds to gravitational forces when you move your wrist, will not have any gravity to which it can respond. Thus it won't keep the mainspring wound.
• The spring that makes the watch "tick and tock," however, will function in the absence of gravity because it doesn't depend on gravity to be wound or to unwind.
• NASA chose the Speedmaster not because it was manual but because of the several watches it purchased as "testers" the Speedmaster was the only one to survive all the tests.

So my answer, the answer I feel best addresses whatever motivated your question, is "yes, an Omega Seamaster will work in a gravity free environment (outer space), but only provided someone winds it before it stops.

That said, there are certain uncommonly found automatic movements that if taken into space, once they stop ticking, they will not resume ticking until one gets close enough to a body -- moon or planet -- so that the self-winding feature can re-wind the watch. The specific movement I have in mind is is JLC's caliber 497 bumper automatic. The reason that watch movement would stop and not work after that is because it has no provision for hand winding. Other automatics that cannot be hand wound would suffer the same shortcoming.

Here is an interesting discussion on various watches that have been used in outer space: Space Watches their history and development. . Among them you'll see a Rolex GMT Master, which is an automatic watch.

Here is a WUS thread that intends to address the physics of watch movements: https://www.watchuseek.com/f2/physics-questions-about-automatic-watches-480663.html . I haven't read it, so I don't know if one of the posts in it speaks further to your question or to the minutiae of details such why even in outer space, gravity is still acting on the spacecraft and the people inside it yet it won't keep an automatic watch wound.

All the best.

 

[watchgeekwatchnut]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Colonel Pogue wore his Seiko 6139 (auto chrono) in space. There that answers your question. Bring us back some space dust when you're back here.

 

[Horologic]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

In this case, he might just grab a G-shock, it's also qualified for flight.

Qualified for flight yes.

But to my knowledge, the speedmaster pro is the only watch qualified by NASA for extra vehicular activity. That is to say, a watch to use when you're outside of a spaceship or space station, actually floating in orbit, exposed to the vacuum of space.

It would be like having several watches for use on an offshore oil platform. But inside the diving chamber, pressurized to 200 meters, only one certain watch is allowed.

Now I'm not saying a Seamaster Pro will immediately fail if exposed to space, but NASA has only certified one watch for that purpose. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[tanatron]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Fortis Cosmonauts B-42 are used on the ISS. They are automatic.

Steel version of the B-42 Cosmonauts chrono

And this is "my" B-42 titanium chrono on the wrist of astronaut Nespoli onboard the ISS. They are valjoux 7750 powered automatic watches.

 

[mleok]

Re: Would an Omega Seamaster work on space?

Qualified for flight yes.

But to my knowledge, the speedmaster pro is the only watch qualified by NASA for extra vehicular activity. That is to say, a watch to use when you're outside of a spaceship or space station, actually floating in orbit, exposed to the vacuum of space.

It would be like having several watches for use on an offshore oil platform. But inside the diving chamber, pressurized to 200 meters, only one certain watch is allowed.

Now I'm not saying a Seamaster Pro will immediately fail if exposed to space, but NASA has only certified one watch for that purpose. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

There's a nice article on this by Tourneau,

Watch 101: Zero-Gravity Watches

it also includes a description of the EVA testing protocol. I believe that the temperature tests were the most problematic for the other watches tested, leading to the hands warping, for example.

But, the OP was primarily asking about zero gravity, as opposed to EVA survivability. But, I'm not sure why either question has any real significance.