Seiko Pogue: The History Of The First Automatic Chronograph In Space

For decades, watch collectors believed that the Sinn 140 worn by German astronaut Reinhard Furrer during his NASA Spacelab D1 mission in 1985 was the first automatic chronograph to reach space.
However, a few years ago it was discovered that the first automatic chronograph in space was a Seiko 6139 worn by Colonel William Reid Pogue during the Skylab 4 mission from November 16, 1973, to February 8, 1974.

Pogue participated in the NASA Skylab 4 mission alongside pilots Gerald Carr and Edward Gibson. Along with the official watch of the expedition, the Omega Speedmaster Professional, Pogue wore the Seiko 6139 for 84 days straight.
David Bruno, a watch enthusiast, who noticed a reference to a Seiko watch in a transcript from the Colonel, discovered this. Col. Pogue responded to David and confirmed that the watch in question was a yellow dialled 6139.

William Pogue's Response to David Bruno's letter

Additional Response from William Pogue

William Pogue's Original Seiko 6139
Pogue discovered that he required a watch for his pre-flight preparations six months before his trip to space. He required a device that could measure the exact time it took for a spacecraft engine to burn out completely.
For astronauts, that time was extremely important. It was the period of time given to astronauts to devise workable responses to the worst-case scenarios, such as mechanical failures and crash threats.

Original Receipt of the Seiko 6139 purchased by William Pogue
Pogue discovered the Seiko 6139-6005 at the Texas Ellington AFB Exchange while searching for the ideal timepiece. He gambled on it and then used the watch's amazing features and performance in accordance with his requirements.
Impressed by its functionality, Pogue decided to wear the Seiko 6139 watch throughout his mission.
He made his choice despite not having official consent from authorised NASA personnel because of the watch's remarkable functionality and dependability.

Authentication Letter
While he was unable to use the Seiko 6139 during his EVA Spacewalk, it was still helpful to him during other crucial procedures that kept the spacecraft engines running.
Following the discovery that the Seiko 6139 was the first automatic chronograph to travel to space, the 60025 iterations of the Seiko 6139 earned the nickname "Seiko Pogue" or "Pogue" in honour of its illustrious owner, astronaut William Pogue.