The race to space during the 1950s and ‘60s between Russia and the United States, created a period of technological advancement like no other. What began as a program to develop long-range nuclear missiles, carrying with them the capability of devastating an entire nation, quickly morphed into a battle to be the first to conquer the final frontier. After the Russians managed to put the first man-made satellite into orbit, the United States set its sights on putting the first man on the Moon. Behind the scenes, there was a horological space-race brewing between a multitude of brands, hoping their watch would adorn the wrists of the daring, military test-pilots, turned astronauts. The watch to be selected was, of course, the Omega Speedmaster, however, we at A Collected Man decided it's time we took a look at the men behind these space-flown icons.

 

Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford and Alan B. Shepard Jr. look over the Gemini mission chart at Cape Kennedy, Florida.  

 

The astronaut for this instalment is Thomas P. Stafford, a former American Air Force officer, test-pilot and proud Omega Speedmaster owner. Before commencing a potentially deadly career as a test pilot, Stafford piloted the F-86 Sabre; a swept-winged fighter jet which was created to contest with the similarly designed MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights during the Korean War. The F-86 Sabre took its first flight in 1947, and had been designed based on technology developed for the German Luftwaffe during the early years of WWII. Like many other future-astronauts, Stafford was a test pilot during the early days of the jet-age; a profession with a death-rate which would unsettle even the most daring risk-takers. The type of character would be describ