Every Watch SEAL Turned Astronaut Jonny Kim Wore In Space

In honor of Captain America’s safe return from the ISS, we recap the former US Navy SEAL, medical doctor, and astronaut’s collection of space-flown watches, including an impressive new unit watch. 

Navy SEAL, physician, and NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Earth last week after an incredible 245-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS). When the hatch on the Soyuz MS-27 capsule was opened on the rugged Kazakh Steppe of Kazakhstan, Kim emerged wearing something remarkable on his wrist, a previously unseen Omega Speedmaster Flight Qualified unit watch. But that’s not it. Closer inspection revealed Kim was double-wristing, with a second Omega unit watch, the SEAL Seamaster, also peeking out from his spacesuit. For the W.O.E. crowd, it was a big day. 

(Photo Credit: NASA)

Lieutenant Commander Kim’s appreciation for timepieces is nothing new, and we have chronicled the American SEAL and astronaut’s professional background and watch collection in a comprehensive Dispatch as well as a video on our YouTube Channel. In this piece, we are going to concentrate on the incredible seven watches Kim utilized on board the ISS, while also sharing a few additional tidbits we have learned since publishing the first article and video. 

From Omega to Rolex to a well-used Digital Tool Watch (D.T.W.), a man we have unironically called “Captain America” is clearly among the most dedicated students of the Use Your Tools ethos. We don’t make the rules. For us and others like our friend Nick Gould (AKA @niccoloy), who also quickly spotted Kim’s new Omega, our job is simply to observe and discuss. 

To start, where on Earth did the Speedmaster Flight Qualified, a watch we didn’t see on Kim’s wrist until the end of his ISS mission, come from? 

Omega Speedmaster Flight Qualified Unit Watch 

Kim on 08 December with a brand new Omega Speedmaster Flight Qualified Unit Watch. (Photo Credit: NASA)

Unveiled late last year, the Omega Speedmaster Flight Qualified is intriguing in that it was released in both mass market and military-specific versions, with the military variant intended as a base model for custom orders from the military aviation community. Due to delays with the rollout, there aren’t many in the wild, and we’re relatively certain Kim didn’t launch with the watch back on 08 April 2025, so where did it come from? 

If it’s true, it’s an incredible story, but we assess with high confidence that the watch made the trip to the ISS with US Astronaut Chris Williams on 27 November, meaning Omega and NASA would have needed to work together to put the watch on Kim’s wrist in space. 

In contrast to the commercially available Speedy variants, the unit version of the Flight Qualified offers up a color-coded display taking inspiration from Omega’s long-gone Flightmaster and should have a unique identifier and insignia on the caseback. 

In Kim’s case, we’re guessing the watch bears his “Wings of Gold”, signifying his completion of Naval Aviator training in March of 2023. In any case, returning to Earth double-wristing Omegas is already pretty cool, and all the more significant when you consider that both watches are only available to members of two of the elite military communities Kim calls home. 

Omega Seamaster SEAL Unit Watch 

Kim using the bezel on his Omega Seamaster unit watch to time in space, pretty cool. (Photo Credit: NASA)

Long before Kim became an astronaut, he began his quest for greatness as a US Navy SEAL, serving with distinction in the Global War on Terror, earning a Silver Star among other awards. In 2024, Omega produced a unique version of its Seamaster Unit Watch for current and former SEALs, complete with the Trident on the caseback. 

(Photo Credit: Wolf Forty Designs)

As you’d expect from a SEAL with serious watch interest, Kim couldn’t resist, and he wore the SEAL Seamaster throughout much of the pre-space travel and training pipeline, as well as on board the ISS, including during a video where he uses the elapsed time bezel to measure a 15-minute centrifuge ride for a vial of his blood. 

Clearly, the astronaut’s feelings for Omega, especially more recently, are strong, but eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed a remarkable third watch worn outside Kim’s spacesuit upon his arrival on terra firma. 

Shturm (Штурм) 75967452

Kim’s Russian Shturm before (left) and after (right) the astronaut’s 245-day mission. Maybe the watch never left his spacesuit?

When Jonny blasted off in April 2025, he wore a seldom-seen Russian Shturm (Штурм) outside his spacesuit. Eventually, with the help of a member of the community, we correctly identified the watch as a unit-specific version of the reference 75967452, which is something like a Russian Submariner clone. At the time, we guessed that Kim having this watch strapped on was perhaps not of the US astronaut’s choosing, an argument bolstered by the fact that Kim did not appear to wear the watch again in space. 

Kim’s Shturm (Штурм) 75967452 made another appearance upon the astronaut’s return to Earth.

However, as Kim made his way back to Earth, he once again wore what appears to be this very watch, again on the exterior of his spacesuit on the same wrist as his Omega Speedmaster Flight Qualified. We don’t speak enough Russian to do the research, but being next to an Omega on the wrist of an astronaut has to be a big marketing win for Shturm, whether they appreciate freedom, bald eagles, and Navy SEALs or not. Omega may be king when it comes to space travel, but Kim is also a big Rolex fan. 

Rolex GMT-Master II 126710

(Photo Credit: NASA)

Kim’s first Rolex model appears to have been the GMT-Master II 126710, with the GMT-Master family distinguishing itself as the most prolific Rolex model in space travel, having been worn by Apollo astronauts Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14) and Jack Swigert (Apollo 13), among many others. Kim’s Rolex GMT was also his timing instrument of choice for much of his NASA training in the lead-up to his ISS mission, and saw service in space in Kim’s substantial watch rotation. 

Rolex Daytona 126500

(Photo Credit: NASA)

Having worn a SEAL Seamaster and a GMT-Master II in the lead-up to his first space flight, we knew Jonny enjoyed watches, but when he rocked up to the ISS wearing a Daytona, we knew he was truly one of us. Compared to the GMT-Master, the Daytona isn’t as prolific a watch in space, having been worn to space on two other occasions. Still, Kim’s Daytona, which is likely a reference 126500, served as further proof of his hardcore inclusion in the watch community. Like the GMT, Kim’s Daytona was also part of his ISS timepiece arsenal, and we can’t help but wonder whether the former SEAL and medical doctor put the chronograph function through its paces. We like to think he did. 

Rolex Submariner 126610

(Photo Credit: NASA)

A few days after arriving on the ISS, Kim busted out yet another Rolex, this time the Submariner, likely reference 126610. As a former SEAL, this Rolex may make the most sense of all of Kim’s Rolex models, as many modern SEALs have saved up cash from training or operational deployments to buy a Sub as a memento of service that also honors the brand’s significant history with Naval Special Warfare. I’m not sure where Kim was keeping all of his watches on the International Space Station, especially when each astronaut’s PPK or Personal Preference Kit only allows for 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) of personal items. Still, Kim’s Sub served as a staggering third Rolex used by a single astronaut on a single space mission. I bet his AD loves him. 

Casio Pro-Trek 

(Photo Credit: NASA)

In his last few weeks in space, Kim used a well-worn Digital Tool Watch (D.T.W.), which could be an older Casio Pro-Trek model paired with a Suunto M-9 wrist compass affixed to the strap. Like many GWOT-era SEALs, Kim wore a Casio G-Shock during his combat deployments to Iraq, but it’s particularly interesting to see the astronaut reach back into his impressive watch bag for an inexpensive digital Casio over his Swiss luxury tool watches. 

We would imagine the reason is utility, as there are numerous timing tasks for experiments and other aspects of daily life on the ISS. Many astronauts also use the Omega X-33, which appears to be standard issue at least for astronauts from the United States, but if Jonny has one, we haven’t seen it. 

Final Thoughts

From our perspective, Jonny Kim’s 245-day mission didn’t just expand the frontiers of science and human exploration; it offered a masterclass in what it means to Use Your Tools. From Omega unit watches and heritage-rich Rolex references to a beat-up Casio that’s seen its share of hard use, each watch Kim carried into orbit reflects a distinct chapter in a life spent in high-stakes service. As he steps back onto Earth, double-wristing, dusted in Kazakh soil, and grinning like a man who just completed one hell of a deployment, Kim reminds us that a watch is never just a watch.

For someone like Jonny Kim, watches aren’t status symbols. They’re tools, markers of identity, reminders of past missions, and, every so often, companions on the kinds of journeys most of us can hardly imagine. And for the W.O.E. Community, watching one of our own bring them home from space is about as good as it gets.

While I have never met Kim, he is clearly intentional in everything he does.  I doubt this is the end of his story or the story of his watches. Stay tuned.

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