From Russia With Rolex Love
Andriyan Nikolayev
Soviet Cosmonaut
Deputy Director of Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
One of the most fascinating things about Rolex history is the fact that we keep discovering new puzzle pieces that keep changing and enhancing the course of Rolex history. This story being a perfect case-in-point! Pointed Crown Guard (PCG) in particular...
The photo above of Soviet Cosmonaut, Andriyan Nikolayev appears courtesy of TASS and was shared by Philip from Moonwatch Universe. Philip wrote the third chapter in the 3rd edition of Moonwatch Only, and was also a recent guest on the podcast Time 4 A Pint where he discussed A Brief History of Watches in Space.
The photo above of Soviet Cosmonaut, Andriyan Nikolayev appears courtesy of TASS and was shared by Philip from Moonwatch Universe. Philip wrote the third chapter in the 3rd edition of Moonwatch Only, and was also a recent guest on the podcast Time 4 A Pint where he discussed A Brief History of Watches in Space.
In the photo above which was taken in August of 1963 we see Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin (left), Pavel Popovich (second left), German Titov and Andriyan Nikolayev (right). Andriyan Nicolayev was the third cosmonaut to travel into space.
Nikolayev traveled to the United States in 1971, where he met with NASA Astronauts who gave him signed photos.
Many U.S. Test pilots and NASA Astronauts wore Rolex GMT-Master models, including to and on the moon! What would you think if I told you a Russian Cosmonaut wore a GMT-Master before an American Astronaut? It's hard to belive but true as we see in the photo below taken in 1965 that shows Russian Cosmonaut Andriyan Nikolayev sporting his Pepsi GMT-Master in photos with his wife and daughter discovered by Nick Gould. To the best of my knowledge this predates any American Astronaut wearing a Rolex GMT-Master.
As a Soviet Cosmonaut, Andriyan Nikolayev was number 3, and flew two space flights. His wife, Valentina Tereshkova is pictured below with their daughter, Elena who is considered the first space child in history, since both her parents with spacefarers.
Adriyan Nikolayev was married to Valentina Tereshkova (pictured above and below) and she was the first women in Space, whereby in 1963 she orbited earth 48 times in her Vostok-6 over the course of 3 days!!!
