David Scott — watch collection

About David Scott’s watch collection

David Scott is a retired NASA astronaut and engineer who flew on three Space Shuttle missions and commanded the Apollo 15 lunar landing in July 1971. As one of only twelve people to walk on the Moon, Scott's career in space exploration spans nearly a decade of missions that helped define America's space program during the height of the Cold War and the Apollo era.

The David Scott watch collection centres on the Bulova brand, specifically the Bulova UTA-63B chronograph that accompanied him to the lunar surface. On July 30, 1971, Scott wore this personally owned Bulova during the Apollo 15 moonwalk. When the mission's primary timing equipment failed, his chronograph became a critical instrument for measuring essential activities during the final lunar excursion. The watch's functionality under extreme conditions—from the vacuum of space to the abrasive lunar dust—demonstrated Bulova's engineering reliability during one of humanity's most demanding environments.

The Bulova chronograph's documentation in Apollo 15 photographs and official mission records established it as a significant artefact in spaceflight history. Scott's selection of Bulova reflected the practical approach astronauts took to personal equipment, choosing a trusted American manufacturer known for precision timekeeping. The presence of this watch during the mission underscored how even the most advanced space programmes relied on conventional instruments to support critical operations when primary systems encountered problems.