Seiko 'Blue Pogue' Chronograph

The first watch on the moon was the Omega Speedmaster Professional — a hand-wound legend. But the first automaticchronograph to reach orbit? That distinction belongs to Seiko. In 1973, William Reid Pogue quietly brought his personal Seiko 6139 aboard Skylab 4. Purchased for $71.50 at the PX at Ellington Air Force Base, it wasn’t NASA-issued, and it wasn’t worn on EVA — but it was used in orbit for timing experiments and daily mission tasks. For decades, collectors believed the first automatic chronograph in space was the Sinn 140 worn in the 1980s. That changed in 2006, when photographs surfaced of Pogue inside Skylab wearing his yellow-dialed Seiko. Overnight, the mythology shifted — and the 6139 became a cult icon. The reference 6139-6005 is the American-market variant that mirrors Pogue’s dial configuration: “WATER 70m RESIST” at nine o’clock and only “AUTOMATIC” beneath the Seiko logo. No extra “CHRONOGRAPH” text. These small typographic cues define a “True Pogue.” This example features a matte blue dial — rarer, stealthier, and arguably more tool-driven than its golden sibling. Housed in a 41mm steel case with barrel pushers, recessed crown, and red-and-blue tachymeter bezel, it’s powered by the automatic Calibre 6139B — one of the world’s earliest integrated automatic chronograph movements. To top it all off, the clasp is engraved with "KOREA VIETNAM," hinting at an action packed past life.  Space history. World history. Japanese innovation. And a reminder that sometimes the most important watches aren’t the ones officially assigned — they’re the ones chosen.