#space watch

It’s a fancy watch!

“The Midnight Planetarium” is a watch by Van Cleef & Arpels in partnership with Dutch watchmaker Christiaan van der Klaauw.

It not only tells Earth-time, but accurately tracks six planets in our solar system (Uranus takes 84 years to orbit the sun which makes any progress imperceptible so they left it and the farther planets off).

The planets are represented with precious stones that match their natural colors, and the watch took three years to make. It’s an absolute work of art and technical skill. The first time I saw it I was in so much awe I stared for half an hour and kept coming back to it over the next month.

I’ve never been interested in expensive jewelry; this is the exception. I’ll never be able to afford it either because it costs $245,000. Even if I got enough money I wouldn’t. That money would go to help family and friends. But I can keep pictures to stare at once in a while, and admire the beauty from afar just like I do the moon and stars.

Cube of space from space, 2021.

Space sculptures, 2021.

Space watch, 2021.

Earth rotation period is 1 day, and the speed of watch is 0%.

Saturn rotation period is 10 hours 42 minutes, and the speed of the watch is +114%.

Mercury rotation period is 58 days, and the speed of the watch is -5800%.

Inter-planetary watches, 2021. The speed of the watch arms can be adjusted faster or slower according to the rotation period of the planet.

Spatial relationship

How Eddie Redmayne’s Omega timepiece at the big unveiling in Toronto of The Aeronauts airborne adventure tied into that company’s proud history with space exploration. How clever that this Omega brand ambassador is now an on-screen aeronaut.

It's been a while since I did a watch countdown - so here's a new one!

From the deep vacuum of space to the harsh cold of the lunar surface - these are 10 space watches for any collector.

At #10 the G Gerlach Kosmonauta.

This is a reissue of the watch worn by the first and only Polish Kosmonaut, General Miroslaw Hermaszewski.

For his trip on Soyuz 30 in 1978, Hermaszewski was fitted with the very first Polish digital watch - a cutting-edge Unitra Warel LED. It was made in Poland and used components developed in conjunction with Japanese tech company Sanyo.

The Kosmonauta is a modern take on this watch. It's a reasonably-sized 40mm watch that features a sapphire crystal, and 100-meters of water-resistance. It has two manually-activated functions on the 2 o’clock pusher: press once for time, twice for date. Time-setting is also the same as the original and runs through the recessed crown at 4. G. Gerlach uses its own LED Module-001GG movement and it features a 2-year battery life.

Overall it's a great little slice of 70's culture and a unique space watch reissue that's hard to pass up.

New Post has been published on https://www.theversatilegent.com/space-watch-for-every-budget/

A Space Watch for Every Budget

There’s no better time to be alive if you’re an avid space enthusiast. Elon Musk’s recently published article entitled, “Making Humans a Multi-Planetary Species” brings consumer travel to space tantalisingly closer by the day. If like me, you dream of a life out of this world, helping mankind explore the universe, you’ll need a space watch that can survive the journey with you. Despite the rigours of space, you’ll be surprised to find that you can have a NASA, ESA, or ROSCOSMOS certified watch regardless of budget.

Timex DataLink 150S – $300

A great entry level space watch is the NASA certified Timex Datalink, better known as the 150. It also has the claim to fame as being the first smart watch with a whopping 3-year battery life. It was released the year Bluetooth was invented and is programmed, remarkably, through a rapidly flashing series of barcodes on your computer’s screen. It can hold 150 contacts, has 12 apps, 5 alarms and can sync with your calendar appointments and to-do lists. Not bad for a watch released in ’94.

Honourable mention: Gshock DW-6900 – $150

Fortis: Official Cosmonauts Chronograph – $1650

For those more inclined to be a cosmonaut than an astronaut, there is the Russian Fortis 638.10.11 The Official Cosmonauts Chronograph. This watch was issued by ROSCOSMOS as a part of the basic kit for all Russian cosmonauts. It features an ETA-Valjoux Caliber 7750 which is an automatic movement with a 44-hour power reserve, chronograph, day, and date.

While the spotlight is typically on the watch below, it should be remembered that the first person in space was Yuri Gargarin, wearing a Sturmanskie, and the first man on a spacewalk was Alexi Leonov, wearing a Strela, both Soviets, wearing Soviet watches. These are feats that should not be forgotten by space or watch enthusiasts alike.

Speedmaster Professional – $7550 & Speedmaster X33 – $7100

The quintessential Spacewatch needs no article to be discovered, it is, of course, the Omega Speedmaster Professional which James covered years ago after Neil Armstrong’s passing.  This is the only watch that is certified by NASA for Extravehicular Activities (such as spacewalks). However, if you’re looking for something more original, and in my eyes practical, I would highly recommend the digital-analog Speedmaster X-33 which was produced in 1998. This watch was designed specifically for space and has numerous features such as Mission Elapsed time and Phase Elapsed time. Most will be shocked to know that the Speedmaster was not designed for space by Omega, despite popular belief, but rather certified for space by NASA. The X33, while sadly using a quartz movement, features a plethora of functions. Whether it is used for helping its user check flight systems, ensure their punctuality for communications briefs, or for timing multiple experiments, the X33 is used by astronauts day in day out. 

However, at this end of the budget spectrum why not just get both, one for the gym and the other for the office? A luxury I know I might pass on, as I save for my ticket aboard the Heart of Gold, Elon’s debut mission to Mars.