Timely Donation From '60 Minutes'

In its 30 years on the air, CBS News' 60 Minutes has made some history. Now, the television newsmagazine's creators have made sure it will be remembered by history too.

The program's correspondents, editors, and producers have donated the famous 60 Minutes stopwatch, seen at the beginning and end of each episode, to the Smithsonian Museum's Cultural History collection.

The '60 Minutes' Correspondents Pose With The Famous Stopwatch

"Rarely has such a small object arrived here that is recognized by the eye and the ear by such a large segment of the American people, said Spencer Crew, Directory of the Museum of the Smithsonian's Museum of American History.

"It is an honor beyond our wildest [dreams]," said Don Hewitt, 60 Minutes creator and executive producer, at a ceremony marking the donation. "I guess the only thing to say is, 'Look, Ma! We're in the Smithsonian'."

The watch, an Aristo that is one of many used on the show, has been the most widely used and most recognized of the 60 Minutes timepieces. On current-day broadcasts, a digitized version of the donated watch is used to create the same effect on the show.