Luxury Watches and the Conquest of the Final Frontier

It's no secret to my friends that I am both a fan of space and horology and, as such, I'm a fan of space horology. Every time I see a space-themed watch, I go a little gaga over it. They have always intrigued me by what they were made out of, how they told time and whatever other space memorabilia the creators could cram into the timepiece.

Over the years, I've bookmarked and even collected a few pieces that I thought had either a fantastic means of paying homage to space travel, or were just plain interesting. Granted, there are a few that I had to leave out, like the Citizen Astrodeas and the beautiful and timeless Strela watches, but there really is a lot out there for lovers of space and timekeeping and what I like may not be for you.

Yuri Gagarin's Poljot Sturmanskie 15j

When the Russians launched Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, he was named the first human being in space. On his wrist, he wore a watch that would become a timeless memorial of this really exquisite achievement. It was a Poljot Sturmanskie 15j. The Sturmanskie line of watches made by Poljot were the official watch of Russian pilots and all bore a Russian Airforce logo on the face.

Yuri's watch was really nothing special at the time. It was simply a standard issue 15 jewel watch that had been in production since the early 50's. Since then, however, space lovers and Russian watch enthusiasts alike have really taken a liking to these historical timepieces. I didn't think much of them until I saw one in person. After that, I couldn't help but research the watches and I really grew an appreciation for Russian-built watches in general. Anyways, thanks to a lot of poor dead monkeys, and Laika in her Sputnik 2, Yuri Gagarin survived his trip into space and really opened up a new chapter in humanity's understanding of the universe. For purely historical reasons, I love this watch.

Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk

Worn by Richard Garriot, son of an astronaut and the first civilian to step on the International Space Station back in 2008, the Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk was the first watch designed for a visit in space. It has a GMT hand, 12-hour chronograph and a power reserve indicator. With over 400 parts, this watch is incredibly accurate and complicated. The strap was even designed by the Russian Federal Space Agency. Adding to its attraction is the fact that it isn’t just great mechanically, it also looks great! Seiko produced only 100 of these watches last spring and they sell for around $28,000.

Halda Space Discovery

This is the first creation of Halda Watch that was unveiled at Baselworld 2010. It is a watch and a space instrument at the same time. It features a docking system that shows an advanced “Space Module” for space use and a “Mechanical Module” for the Earth. The two are interchangeable in its respective environment. Made for a true astronaut, it has chronograph and dual time functions, a G-Force counter or a 3-axis accelerator, an event log, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-based countdown function called “Mission Time,” and alarms. Halda Watch only made 128 of these watches, which sold at $10,800 a piece.

Romain Jerome’s Moon Dust-DNA

After the huge success of Romain Jerome’s Titanic DNA watch line, he produced yet another breakthrough – the Moon Dust DNA line. The highlight is the dial having lunar scenery with craters made of moon dust mineral deposits. The stainless steel case has titanium from the Apollo 11 space shuttle. Adding a twist to this watch is the skeleton-like details on the dial which give the impression of treasures buried on the lunar surface for pirates to find. Granted with the authenticity certificate from the Association of Space Explorers, this highly-exclusive line starts with a price of $15,000 and goes up to half a million dollars.

Sky Moon Tourbillion by Patek Phillipe 5002

Finally, the watch that left me speechless because of its staggering price of $1,400,000. With the goal of “accommodating the most fascinating complications in the small case of a wristwatch: a perpetual calendar with a retrograde date display, a minute repeater, a tourbillon, the display of sidereal time, and a depiction of the nocturnal sky with the motion of the stars, the orbit of the moon, and the moon phases,” this very rare masterpiece is deemed to be one of the most complicated pocket watches of all time.

The watch highlights an an exhaustive presentation of the reverse side of a nocturnal sky (making it a double-faced wristwatch pioneer), exhibits the stars’ movement, the moon’s orbit and its phases and sidereal time in hours and minutes. It has chimes that execute in an exceptional and enchanting manner and a legendary perpetual calendar displaying a 270° arc on the dial for the date and much more. Beneath its sapphire crystal case is a showcase of the stars' motion, the moon’s waxing and waning phases, and Sirius meridian passage – the northern hemisphere. Because of its complexities and the length of time it takes to create this watch, Patek Phillipe only makes two every year. Its exclusivity is reflected by its price.

Honestly, I don't think I'll ever own many of these watches, but in some cases, persistence is way more important than money is. Some of these are incredible watches for the price you pay and if you really want one, stay on the scene looking for it and you'll eventually come out with an incredible product for a fair price.