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The first automative chronograph watch in space was always thought to be the SINN 140. But in 2007 an eagle-eyed timepiece enthusiast spotted a Seiko 6139-6002 on the wrist of Colonel Pogue, an astronaut on the 1973 NASA mission dubbed Skylab 4.
After an investigation and correspondence with the retired astronaut, suspicions were confirmed, forever changing the history of timepieces and the Space Program.
Although the 6139 was never formally approved for mission use (that title going to the Speedmaster Professional), the story goes that he had been training with the Seiko for six months before the mission launched, as he hadn’t been issued his Speedmaster until late in the process. He had grown familiar with the Seiko, so brought it along without seeking official approval from the NASA brass and specifically used to time engine burns.
