David Bruno identified the space mission (Skylab 4) online and was able to track down the astronaut, Col. William Pogue.

Bruno wrote a letter to Pogue, asking about the watch he wore on the mission. He explained that it was widely believe that the Sinn model 142 was the first automatic chronograph in space, but had heard claims Pogue’s Seiko had been even earlier.

“I’ve read a transcript where you mention your ‘trusty old Seiko’ but you don’t mention the model number, whether it was an automatic … or if it was a chronograph,” Bruno wrote. He asked for any details the astronaut could recall, and included a picture of a Seiko 6139.

Pogue wrote a handwritten reply in the margin of Bruno’s letter, saying that he still had the watch in a safe deposit box. He revealed that it was automatic, had a stopwatch feature, and looked very similar to the picture Bruno had provided.

“The Seiko launched in Nov ’73 and came back with me on 8 Feb ’74,” Pogue wrote. “I used it for years in favour of my Rolex which I got in 1957-58 when I flew with the Thunderbirds.”

Pogue also sent a selection of photographs and a copy of the watch’s original sales receipt.

Col. Pogue sent a second letter that revealed he did not have permission to carry the Seiko on the misssion, but that they had not received the NASA Omega watches until late in their training: “I had been using the Seiko for well over six months (perhaps over a year) and had found it very handy for timing engine burns in the simulator … Hence, I did not make any attempt to get official permission or approval to carry the Seiko on the mission.”

Col. Pogue also confirmed that the self-winding mechanism worked fine in zero gravity, saying: “I don’t remember having to use any extra arm motions to back up the self-winding feature.”

David Bruno has shared all the documents from Col. William Pogue at http://sinn142.fateback.com/pogue.html.

Whilst commodities such as Cuban cigars and white rum where doing very well, the demand for timepieces bearing the Cuervo family name became insatiable. It wasn’t long before well-known watch companies such as Rolex , Vacheron and Longines were producing watches exclusively for sale in Don Ramon’s shops, with each timepiece bearing the Cuervo y Sobrinos name. Don Ramon’s work was continued notably by his nephew Don Armando. With an atelier in La Chaux-de-Fonds and with the expansion of their outlets to Germany and North America, business was good for the growing family business.

‘Cuervo Y Sobrinos’ translates as ’Cuervo and nephews’, as the skills and passion for the trade was passed down through the generations of the family. Influential figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable and Winston Churchill had been patrons for the brand. Even Albert Einstein felt the Cuban watch company was the intelligent choice.

Taking the time to appreciate the finer things in life and to reflect became an important part of Cuba‘s culture in this era. However things came to an abrupt halt when the Cuban Revolution took hold of Havana in 1953. The Cuervo family had to flee their shop, only with what they could carry, leaving the jewellery shop with its locked steel vaults to remain untouched for the next 40 years.

Today that history is being brought back to life. In 1997 Italian entrepreneur Marzio Villa first gained access to the original shop on San Rafael Street, Havana. The brand has since been resurrected with re-issues of the original watches being manufactured in Switzerland and then sold around the world.

Various documentation and antique movements found in the vaults of the ‘La Casa’ shop in Avenida Quinta provided the basis for regeneration of Cuervo y Sobrinos watches. As a collector with a passion for fine watches and luxury sports cars, Marzio was on vacation in Cuba when he first came across these mysterious antique watches. Inevitably his curiosity led him to research the brand’s history and restore its place on the international watch scene today.

When you hold a Cuervo y Sobrinos watch it reminds you of years gone by, where time was enjoyed not just measured. The art deco contours and Latin styling cues allow you to feel the history of the brand, whilst the next chapters of the company’s history are still be written to this day. You can even visit the new boutique now open in Havana today.

By way of example the featured watch here is the Cuervo y Sobrinos Historiador Semenal. The purpose of this watch is to instantly show the time, date, day, week and month at a glance This timepiece is considered to be a complication piece, aimed at serious collectors who would appreciate an annual calendar in an easy-to-read display.

The movement is CYS 2853 – a heavily modified ETA module which is no longer recognisable due to the sheer amount of customisation required to configure it to the functionality of the watch. A new feature to the collection is the use of a ‘full’ rotor, used to wind the watch. Where normal rotors are a half moon shape, the full rotor has a peripheral edge that forms the other half.

The meticulously decorated bridges are housed in a 45mm stainless steel case, with its unique angular oversized shoulders, giving the watch a truly Latin appearance. The dial bearing the family business’s crest is available in ivory and black options.

Should this watch be overly complicated for the user, both a three hand piece and a chronograph version are available as alternatives in a variety of options. All these watches are available to purchase through Jura Watches.

125 years ago the founder of Victorinox Swiss Army, Karl Elsener, opened a cutlery workshop where he developed the Original Swiss Army Knife. Today, the Elsener family are still the directors of the company, the third and fourth generations are now at the helm.

The same spirit of innovation that went into the production of that first iconic pocket knife has been applied to Victorinox Swiss Army’s other products ever since, including, of course, their timepieces, household and professional knives, travel gear and ladies’ and men’s fashion.

2009 is also the 20th anniversary of the first Victorinox Swiss Army timepiece. So it is not surprising that to mark these anniversaries the company have produced the Travel Alarm 1884 Limited Edition which has been limited to 1,884 pieces worldwide.

The technical teams of both the knife and watch divisions have joined forces and applied the principle of the retractable blade to the design of this stylish and one-of-a-kind travel alarm. The resulting timepiece features the same spring effect and ‘click’ sound as the Original Swiss Army Knife, the same red side-panels, and it even includes the typical toothpick and tweezers found in the Victorinox Swiss Army pocket knives.

On 25 December 1969 the Quartz Astron (pictured left), presented in an 18 carat gold case and limited to 100 pieces, went on sale in Tokyo. The revolutionary quartz watch was launched.

To mark the fortieth anniversary of this launch, a year of celebrations was kicked off at the beginning of December in Tokyo. Appropriately enough Tokyo’s fashionable and trend-setting area, Omotesando, played host to a SEIKO exhibition which opened on 1 December for six days. The SEIKO Power Design Project exhibition showed off Seiko’s forty new quartz watches all inspired by the Quartz Astron. Seiko’s designers have retained the integrity of the original quartz watch, but have added a different contemporary twist, bringing it up to-date for today’s watch collectors and enthusiasts.

Later, in 2010 at the annual Baselworld expo Seiko will release a revolutionary collection of quartz watches. This collection will feature new designs and functionality, and in so doing demonstrate the continued potential of this important innovation in the development of watchmaking technology. Be sure to return for more news about the various celebrations Seiko will be hosting over the next year.

Agostini, a brand Ambassador for JeanRichard watches, is seen here with a Bressel 1665 Chronograph Rattrapante Foudroyante on his wrist taking the opportunity to explore JeanRichard’s workshops, and see some of the wonderful watches produced there in the making.

Besides the watches and the workshops there would have been much to keep Agostini occupied on his visit to JeanRichard Manufacture.

JeanRichard is located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, and as we reported here a few days ago, this city along with La Locle was recently added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in recognition of the towns watch-making and architectural heritages. JeanRichard is linked to one of the founders of the watch making industry in the local mountains of Neuchâtel, Daniel JeanRichard.

To demonstrate a continuous commitment to the history of watch making JeanRichard have created its own Museum. Here they do not simply display JeanRichard watches, but the hidden technical aspects of the watch making industry. For example, the tools and machinery used from the 17th century until today outline for visitors to the Museum the evolution of watch making in the area.

JeanRichard watches are available from The Watch Gallery, London.

Watches and town planning, Savoir Faire and historical architecture, were the principal reasons for nominating these two towns to be inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. This recognition brings to ten the number of UNESCO listed heritage sites in Switzerland. Others include: the old City of Berne, the Benedictine monastery of St-Jean-des-Soeurs at Müstair, and the Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch Bietsehhorn.

Laurent Kurth, a municipal councillor in La Chaux-de-Fonds, said that “La Chaux-de-Fonds derives its qualities from its watch making history. With the recognition of UNESCO and its registration as a World Heritage site of humanity, the watch making Metropolis acquires visibility and notoriety which it intends to exploit to the benefit of all those involved in its development and success. The city also carries a new responsibility: to further promote the richness of our economical, cultural and social history, projecting its development in line with its roots and values that are now brightened by UNESCO.”

The two cities we see today were designed in the 19th century, following a fire in 1794. It is the urbanisation of these two cities that has created the historical heritage of watch making and watch production. Watch-making literally created these two cities; the new urban plans were adapted by and for the watch making industry.

Corum watches, founded in 1955, may be a recent addition to the horological heritage, but it has rapidly established itself as an innovative watch brand.

Ever since the daring Raft chronograph, TechnoMarine watches have been pushing hard at the boundaries of what was once established style. The watch industry has repeatedly attempted to dismiss the brand as “insane”, and even “sacrilegious”. But the immense popularity of TechnoMarine timepieces ensured a fascinating development on what was once a clearly defined set of criteria for the luxury watch.

What was so shocking for the luxury watch world was the way in which TechnoMarine broke with tradition and brought together seemingly incompatible materials, such as plastic and diamonds. It was this combination that was often described as Cartier meets the Swatch.

Over a decade later TechnoMarine are still going strong, and continue to produce eye-catching new models, for both men and women. Part of the reason for this popularity must surely be that the company has continued to produce revolutionary designs in a somewhat conservative industry.

There are various new models of Technomarine watches now in stock at Jura Watches, Mayfair, London. Just one of these is the ladies UF6 Chronograph Diamond Bezel, pictured here to the left.

In acquiring this range of producers of luxury goods, Richemont has ensured that each of its individual companies maintains its own distinct identity that in all cases derives from a long and distinct heritage.

Panerai is no different, having started out as a family-run business in 1860. Richemont not only inherited a distinguished and reputable watch manufacturer, it also inherited an important historical legacy.

To prevent the material objects of this legacy from being lost, all historical items have been collected together and catalogued, and these form the basis of the Panerai Historical Archive.

For anyone with an interest in the history of watches and watch-making, this is a fascinating collection that begins in the mid 1800s and continues right up to the present day. It includes watches, compasses, depth gauges, torches and patent documents as well as tools of the watchmaker’s art. There are also numerous photographs and documents that bear witness to the work of the Panerai family from the very first watchmaker’s workshop opened in Florence over a hundred years ago.

The Archive is housed in part in the historical boutique in Piazza San Giovanni in Florence.

But Zenith watches have another reason to be particularly proud, and that is their association with Mahatma Gandhi – the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. Gandhi lived a very modest existence and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, which was woven with yarn he had hand spun himself. He ate simple vegetarian food, and did not own many material objects.

As can be seen in the photograph above, one of the few things Gandhi did have was a Zenith watch – a pocket alarm watch, shown in detail below.

Georges Favre-Jacot, who founded the company in 1865, was very keen to see his watches widely distributed. And so he travelled far and wide promoting Zenith watches.

The early 20th century saw the expansion of travel, for pleasure and business. Favre-Jacot believed that having a reliable watch and being able to wake up on time were essential requirements for all travellers. From 1915 onwards the pocket alarm watch became an iconic watch in the Zenith collection.

Over the years Panerai have produced some exceptional and lasting timepieces. From the Radiomir, created for the commandos of the Italian Navy in 1936, to the more contemporary Ferrari Collection, produced under license of Ferrari Spa by Panerai.

The Ferrari Collection has a number of different models, illustrated here to the left is just one of these – the Ferrari Granturismo GMT FER00003. Each one includes the iconic Ferrari logo, the prancing stallion at 12 o’clock.

In between these two milestones in Panerai’s watch making history is their Luminor Collection. The first of the Luminor watches was created in 1950, and also designed under commission for the Italian Navy. As a military dive watch, it has features specifically suited to conditions necessary for a dive watch. For instance, there was a hand-wound mechanical movement that had an eight-day power reserve. This enabled the frequency of winding operations to be reduced. An innovative feature then because, the fewer winding operations meant a lower risk of water seepage when divers rewound their watches.

These three ranges, the Radiomir, the Luminor and the Ferrari, continue to make up the brand’s core; and there are other models that are as distinctive. Panerai watches are available from The Watch Gallery in London.