Before I go into my main reply to Simon's post I'd like to address a couple of things others have stated elsewhere in this thread before I could finish composing my reply.
 
Derek, is correct and incorrect. Correct in that if you want the same thing as what was worn on the moon, you need to buy the same model(s) that were purchased by NASA through the 1960's, Incorrect in that if you don't own an actual "Moonwalker's" watch that it is a copy or a replica. A replica or a copy is something intentially made in the image of an original. If I have the same model and movement as these watches procured by NASA, I can say it's the same watch as worn by the moonwalkers, but not the actual physical watch that was on the moon, but it was the same production model as used on the moon. Derek is also right in that we don't (or shouldn't) think any less of someone wearing/owning a more distant model of the moonwatch than the same model. In the grand scheme of things it is not a big difference, at least in my eyes. But I will point out the differences so they are known to the best of my ability and knowledge so that it is better understood why certain models are valued higher by some people...
 
Next, NASA didn't procure watches for their astronauts before Gemini (at least I've not seen any evidence of such). Astronauts had their choice of which (if any) watch to wear through the completion of the Mercury program. Secondly, it has been said (by me even), that the Apollo-Soyuz Test Flight was the first instance where we know c.861's were flown. With detailed examination of Page 136 and 137 of the Time Capsule book I can no longer commit to that (more below).
 
David Wan, Please feel free to continue to ask questions. As it is less likely you will get answers if you don't. I am not privy to private email you may have sent to others on the forum I can't comment on them. Aside from the fact that your questions might have been percieved by David as being rewordings of questions previously asked (I AM speculating here). That is about the only way I can understand David's apparent frustration.
 
I have to admit that I am frustrated in that I have typed all of the evidence that I have been able to find at least twice previously and here I am spending father's day doing it again. Which leads me to my reply to Simon which starts off as:

I swear! I'm gonna post this as a TZ Classic this time! (experation at myself not anyone else for not TZ Classicing it last time...)

 
Here is what we know, or have been able to determine:
  1. There are really only two people that are really in a position to know which movement was the first watch worn on the moon for certain: Neil Armstrong and Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin.
    1. It has been documented that Armstrong did not wear his Speedmaster on his walk on the moon. An instrument had malfunctioned during the LEM's Decent and his Speedmaster was left in the LEM to serve as a replacement.
      1. Thus Aldrin's Speedmaster was the first worn on the moon.
    2. It has also been documented that Aldrin's Speedmaster was lost and presumed stolen in transit to the Smithsonian for inclusion in it's displays.
      1. Thus we cannot point to the actual watch to determine it's movement.
      2. The definative answer would have to come from Aldrin and his recollection.
  2. The Time Capsule book has pictures of two of the Moon Astronauts Speedmasters (Alan Sheppard, commander Apollo 14 [a moonwalker], and Ron Evans [CM Pilot for Apollo 17].
    1. Exhibit 1, Alan Sheppard's Speedmaster:
      2. This watch, manufactured in 1966-1967 is almost certainly a c.321. It couldn't be anything other than a c.321.
    2. Exhibit 2, Ron E. Evan's Speedmaster:
      2. This watch also appears to be a c.321 model of the Speedmaster.
  3. There are no other pictures of Moonwalker's watches available, to my knowledge, that would clearly show which model they wore. There are plenty of pictures of the astronauts wearing their speedmasters on the moon and during missions but I have not found any photos that clearly show which model they are using.
  4. However, We can dispell the myth that the Speedmaster was the only watch worn on the moon.
  5. "From Apollo XV, astronaut David Scott:

    142:14:22 Scott: "Verify cabin at 3.5." Okay, cabin's at 3.5. Suit circuit's locked up at about 4.4. My PGA is coming through 5 and decaying. And let's slip on a watch.

    [Dave may have had his watch hanging from the instrument panel and, in any event, he is now putting it on and is probably starting the stopwatch function.]

    [Scott, from a 1996 letter - "I do not recall ever having looked at my watch after egress. In the cabin after EVA-2, I noticed that the crystal of my Omega had popped off sometime during the EVA. Therefore, on EVA-3, I used my backup Waltham watch (which was) of a similar type. It worked just fine during the even higher temperatures of EVA-3.]".

    1. Hence, We can clearly shoot down the notion that the Omega Speedmaster was the only watch worn on the moon. We have direct testimony on NASA's site from a "Moonwalker" that he wore a Waltham on the moon.
  6. We have TZ Classic 381 in which John Diethelm of Omega Vintage Information is quoted as stating:
    1. "Dear Sir,

      In reply to your net enquiry dated febr. 19,1999 here are some details:

      1. it is obvious that the first moon landing was made with a Speedmasterfitted with a caliber 321 movement. The toward the seventies, the NASA has probably also used the replacement movement caliber 861. We have no official confimration of what has been used and when, except for the first Moon landing.

      2. The re-qualification in 1978 is exclusively made with the caliber 861."

      Kind regards

      OMEGA LTDJohn Diethelm

      1. This is not entirely true, because we do have the photo's above. But, I present it as is nonetheless.
  7. Lastly we have the issue of when were c.861's first officially used... The truth of the matter is that we really don't know. We know that:
    1. Omega made a special commemorative watch (250 pieces) with the Apollo-Soyuz mission at 12
    2. From the pictures of that mission [Pages 136-137 in the Time Capsule Book] we can see that:
      1. Alexi Leonov is clearly pictured wearing a Flightmaster.
      2. Tom Stafford and Vance Brand are pictured wearing a Speedmaster but it does not appear to be a commemorative model (no red/blue in the dial)
        1. But there is a glare on these photo's so I can not say if they are applied metal logo'ed Speedmasters, or White Painted.
          1. But it is clear enough to see at least two or three lines of text not the one of the commemorative model.
      3. Donald (Deke) Slayton appears to be wearing a non-commemorative Speedmaster and the picture is clear enough for me to believe it has a Applied Metal (read as c.321) logoed dial. Considering Slayton was with the Astronaut Corps from the begining this is consistant with other facts stated above.
 
What can we conclude as fact?
  1. NASA first procured watches for the Astronaut Corps after Project Mercury and before the introduction of the c.861 movement.
  2. I nor anyone else I know who has attempted have been unable to find any documentation of NASA procuring additional Speedmasters after the introduction of the c.861 prior to the 1978 re-testing for the Shuttle missions.
  3. According to John Diethelm (who is as close to Canon as we are likely to get aside from speaking to the actual moonwalkers [at least two of which have since passed away]). The first watch worn on the moon was a c.321 worn by Aldrin.
  4. We can document that Alan Shepard's and Ron Evan's Speedmasters were c.321's. NASA seems to have c.321's in the cases we have been able to document.
  5. Omega "no official confimration of what has been used and when, except for the first Moon landing.
  6. We really don't know specifically what watches were worn during the other moon missions, or the Skylab missions.
  7. It appears that the Apollo-Soyuz Astronauts did not wear commemorative c.861 model Speedmasters
  8. It appears that Deke Slayton might (and probably) wore a c.321 during the ASTP.
  9. David Scott wore a Waltham Chronograph on the surface of the moon during the third EVA of the Apollo 15 mission.
    1. Which points out additional facts:
      1. Astronauts were permitted to and did wear personally purchased watches on Apollo missions as backup's to their mandated and NASA provided Speedmaster's
      2. Astronauts could easily have worn any one of a number of other watches on the moon other than Speedmasters in general, and c.321's in particular.
  10. It is possible that an Astronaut could have purchased a Speedmaster Pro c.861 as his backup watch even if NASA never procured any c.321's.
  11. It is possible and maybe even likely that some c.861's were worn on the moon by moonwalkers:
    1. "The toward the seventies, the NASA has probably also used the replacement movement caliber 861" -- John Diethelm from within TZ Classic 381.
      1. However, looking at the wording of Mr. Diethelm's quote, it is speculation, not fact.
Here is the bottom line:
  1. Omega has stated as fact that the first watch worn on the moon (as referenced previously) was a c.321.
  2. We have two documented cases where a moonwalker (Shepard) and one orbiter (Evens) wore c.321's
  3. We have no documentary evidence to prove that c.861's were used on or near the moon, although we have reasons to suspect that some were used among other brands of watches.
  4. The Speedmaster was not the only watch worn on the moon (David Scott as referenced previously.)
Those are the facts of the matter as I have been able to determine them, and for the most part have typed up in the forum at least twice previously. The only difference is that previously I believe I may have stated that the c.861 was used on the Apollo-Soyuz mission. I no longer believe that I can conclude that the c.861 was definately used or not, and it appears to me that Deke Slayton wore a c.321.
 
I have met 4 Moon Astronauts personally: The crew of Apollo 15 (when I was in 6th grade) and Jim Lovell (in 1994, before I was knowledgeable about watches). I missed out on the opportunity to meet Edwin Aldrin last month at a book signing when I found out about it the day of the signing and couldn't scrap my schedule to fit it in. I kick myself for not doing so, but I couldn't get it done. Jim Lovell owns and run's a resturant about 50 miles where I live. I may at some point try to locate it and stop in hoping to see him and ask him his recollections about the Speedmaster. If I do get this opportunity I will post the results here of course.
 
I honestly believe the best and perhaps the only way to nail down for sure what watches were worn when, aside from what I and others have documented, is to ask the astronauts personally. I believe that may be the only way to satisfy people, and maybe even that wouldn't be enough.

Now for a personal note.

Everything above is factual to the best of my knowledge. Where I have speculated, I've stated so, or worded the thought in such a way that it should be clear that it is an opinion. To purport that I or others are propogating theories that only c.321 movements were worn on the surface and that c.861's were not is wrong. I have stated that we can prove that c.321's were worn on the moon, and that a Waltham of a similar type to the Speedmaster was worn on the moon, but I and others have not been able to locate any proof of other movement's/watches (other than the Waltham) having been worn on the lunar surface, only speculations and opinions that it may have happened.

 
Do not take this as a personal slight or bias against the c.861. I personally own at least 7 c.861 Omega's (4 German model, 2 Mark II's and a Seamaster) compared to 3 c.321's (Pre-Pro, Pre-Moon, Seamaster). The c.861 passed all of the same tests as the c.321 and from what I have read, the c.861 trounced a much larger stable of canidate watches more thoughly than the c.321 did in 1965.
 
The c.861 is a fine movement. The Speedmaster Professional with the c.861 movement is a great watch. Is it the same watch/movement as was worn by the moonwalkers? I can not state that it is because I have not seen the evidence (proof) that it was worn by moonwalkers. I have seen evidence to prove that c.321's were worn on the moon. Thus, the c.321 Speedmaster is the same watch as worn on the moon (by at least Aldrin and Shepard) in my opinion, in those specific cases. The c.861 might also have been worn on the moon by moonwalkers. I haven't been able to prove it.
 
I have no axes to grind, no biases to bolster, no desire to promote false information, imply opinion is fact, ego's to masaage or bruise, nor wish to cause monetary values to raise as I am not looking to sell any of my moonwatch cased watches. Please do not imply that I am doing any of these things. I'm only presenting the facts as I have been able to determine them.
 
I hope this shed's a proper light on the subject and that if someone (ANYONE) has evidence to bolster the case of the c.861 you will come forward and post it. Otherwise I will probably post this in TZ Classics after it has been responded to, because I'm tired of retyping and posting this every month or two!
 
-- Chuck