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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The Seiko 6139 Pogue is a yellow-dial automatic chronograph associated with astronaut William Pogue’s Skylab 4 mission. It was his personal watch—not a NASA-issued or NASA-approved instrument. Seiko’s museum says Pogue carried a Caliber 6139 aboard the station beginning November 16, 1973; collector David Flett identifies Pogue’s particular U.S.-market watch as a 6139-6005, although “Pogue” is also commonly used for related yellow-dial 6139-600X models.
What is the Seiko Pogue?
“Pogue” is the collector nickname for a yellow-dial Seiko 6139 automatic chronograph associated with NASA astronaut William Pogue. The watch has a chronograph, day-and-date display and rotating bezel. The nickname is often applied broadly to yellow-dial watches in the 6139-600X reference family, so it does not by itself establish the exact reference or originality of a particular example.
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Seiko Museum Ginza describes Pogue’s watch as a Seiko “5 SPORTS Speed-Timer” powered by Caliber 6139. It says he bought it for $71 at an air-base kiosk. That personal purchase is central to the story: the watch accompanied him to space, but it was not official mission equipment. Seiko Museum Ginza’s account recounts the watch and mission.
How did Pogue’s Seiko go to space?
Seiko’s museum says Pogue boarded the Saturn IB for Skylab 4 on November 16, 1973, with the watch among his personal belongings. During flight training, official watches had not yet been distributed. Pogue used the Seiko and valued its rotating bezel for timing rocket-engine burns. As quoted by the museum, he said: “I found this Seiko to be very convenient when measuring the burn time of a rocket engine using the rotating bezel.”
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On Skylab, Pogue wore the NASA official watch on his right wrist and the Seiko on his left. Seiko’s museum reports that Skylab 4 completed 1,214 Earth revolutions and that Pogue’s space-station assignments lasted 84 days, then a record. The museum says the 6139 lacked specifications for the space environment, but its automatic rotor continued to turn as Pogue moved his arm and the watch kept time in weightlessness. This is the museum’s account of Pogue’s watch in flight, not evidence that NASA qualified the model for space use.
Was the Seiko NASA-approved?
No. Seiko Museum Ginza says Seiko watches were not officially approved by NASA. Pogue carried his watch personally; he did not wear it as a NASA-issued or NASA-certified mission watch.
Why is the 6139 significant?
Seiko dates the launch of Caliber 6139 to spring 1969 and calls it the world’s first automatic chronograph. The movement used a column wheel and vertical clutch, mechanisms Seiko Watch Corporation associates with improved precision in elapsed-time measurement. The company’s chronograph-history page is available here; its historical-page text is the basis for that technical description.
The 6139 does not have a manual-winding mechanism, according to Seiko’s museum. Do not assume you can wind one by turning its crown: its automatic winding relies on movement of the rotor.
Was Pogue’s watch a 6139-6005 or a 6139-6002?
David Flett’s collector guide identifies Pogue’s own watch as a 6139-6005, rather than a 6139-6002. In the guide’s interpretation, the final digit distinguishes market versions: “5” and “9” were North American codes, while “2” was used for the rest-of-world version. The museum’s account confirms the Caliber 6139 and mission story but does not give the reference suffix.
Flett’s identification also uses dial details. He says Pogue’s dial had “AUTOMATIC” beneath the Seiko logo and a “Water 70m Resist” marking. In his account, that text fits the 6005; the 6002’s dial reads “AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH.” He dates the “Water 70m Resist” marking to roughly mid-1970 through late 1972. These are collector-guide conclusions, not a reference identification made by Seiko’s museum. Read David Flett’s reference analysis, published November 16, 2023.
| Detail | 6139-6005 | 6139-6002 |
|---|---|---|
| Market, according to Flett | North American version | Rest-of-world version |
| Dial text cited by Flett | “AUTOMATIC” beneath the Seiko logo | “AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH” |
| Relation to Pogue’s watch | Identified by Flett as Pogue’s particular watch | Related version commonly called a Pogue |
What should you check before buying a vintage Pogue?
Assess the individual watch rather than relying on the nickname, a dial marking or a seller’s description. Vintage examples may have replacement parts, and a restored or serviced watch should not be assumed to retain its original components or be safe around water.
- Reference and dial: Compare the case reference with the dial wording. The 6005/6002 distinction above reflects Flett’s collector analysis; a matching dial alone does not prove a watch is original.
- Originality: Ask about the dial, hands, bezel, bracelet, crystal and movement history. A specialist listing for one 6139-6002 warns that aftermarket parts and assembled “franken” watches occur; that is a seller’s caution about the market, not a population-wide estimate.
- Movement generation and service: Flett describes 6139A and 6139B generations within the 6139-600X family and warns that many chronograph components differ and are not interchangeable. He also notes that wear in the chronograph wheel can make the central chronograph seconds hand run beyond a minute. A watchmaker familiar with vintage 6139s is a safer choice than assuming generic parts will fit. Seiko Service USA provides a 6139A technical datasheet.
- Water resistance: A vintage “Water 70m Resist” dial marking is not a present-day guarantee. The specialist seller says its serviced example was not guaranteed water resistant; have any specific watch assessed by a qualified watchmaker and do not expose it to water based on the dial text.
- Fit: Confirm the lug width on the actual watch before buying a strap. A specialist listing gives 19 mm for its particular 6139-6002, but that single measurement should not be assumed for every example or replacement case.
A specialist listing can illustrate what one watch is described as having: its March 1973 6139-6002 had a day/date display, a 30-minute chronograph register and a crown-operated internal rotating tachymeter bezel. The listing is sold or unavailable, so it does not establish current availability or a dependable market price. See the listing’s description and seller cautions.
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Is every Pogue the first chronograph in space?
No. Seiko’s museum describes the 6139 as the first automatic chronograph in space, but David Flett’s guide notes that another automatic chronograph also flew on Skylab 4 and characterizes the distinction as joint-first. The most precise description is that Pogue’s personal 6139 was one of the automatic chronographs carried on that mission—not that it was the sole chronograph in space.
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