Astronaut Wally Schirra spotted wearing a Rolex

In October 1968, NASA astronaut Wally Schirra carried the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6240 on his wrist during the Apollo 7 mission, the first crewed Apollo flight following the tragedy of Apollo 1. The photograph, archived for decades, captures Schirra in his NASA flight suit beside a spacecraft, the steel chronograph visible on his left wrist. This sighting represents one of the earliest documented instances of a Daytona in spaceflight preparation, predating the more famous association between the reference and the Mercury and Gemini programs.

The Ref. 6240 Daytona houses the Valjoux 727 chronograph movement, a hand-wound calibre capable of measuring elapsed time to 1/10th of a second across a 12-hour counter. The 37 mm stainless steel case features the characteristic sloped lugs and broad pushers that define the mid-1960s Daytona aesthetic. The dial presents two subdials—a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12-hour register at 9 o'clock—in contrasting matte black, with lume-applied Mercedes hands and hour markers. The bezel carries Rolex's engraved tachymeter scale for rapid speed calculation. Water resistance reaches 100 meters, adequate for professional use but not the defining feature of a tool watch worn by test pilots and astronauts.

Produced between 1965 and 1969, the Ref. 6240 occupies a pivotal position in Daytona lineage. It represents the final generation before Rolex transitioned to the calibre 727A and, later, the automatic movement in the Ref. 6262. Examples from this production window remain highly sought by collectors, particularly those with tropical (faded) dials or tropical bezels—a patina consequence of aerospace storage conditions. Schirra's documented connection to this specific reference elevates its provenance; space program chronographs command premiums when authentically documented.

Schirra's choice of the Rolex Daytona during Apollo 7 reflects the chronograph's reputation for reliability under extreme conditions. While NASA officially standardized other timing devices during crewed missions, astronauts frequently wore personal mechanical watches as backup instruments. The Ref. 6240's Valjoux 727 movement—robust and field-serviceable—made it an intuitive choice for professional pilots transitioning into the space program. Schirra, a veteran of the Mercury-Atlas 8 and Gemini 6-A missions, would have valued the watch's precision and durability.

On the current grey market, examples of the Ref. 6240 in good condition range from $35,000 to $65,000 USD, depending on dial condition, bezel state, and provenance documentation. Tropical dials and original box/papers command significant premiums. Schirra's Apollo 7 connection—a historically significant mission that validated the Apollo spacecraft after the Apollo 1 fire—adds narrative weight to any documented example. This particular sighting, hidden for over 50 years, underscores how many important space program chronographs remain unrecognized in archives.