10 favourites – watches with a space theme

Text: Andreas Johansson

The relationship of watches to space travel is well known and documented, at least as long as watches have been used by space travellers, watch brands have been inspired by space in design. In archaeological finds researchers see that mankind's fascination with the cosmos has been present throughout the history of humanity and the inspiration horologists have taken from the cosmos for developing the design of watches is really just an extension of this fascination. The selection of watches with a space theme is in principle inexhaustible, in this article I have taken on the impossible assignment of picking out 10 favourites that take us through the whole cosmos and back.  

A. Lange & Söhne Little Lange 1 

Having a starry sky in the dial hardly unique, but there are few who can get a starry sky as perfect as A. Lange & Söhne has got in its Little Lange 1 (ref. 182.086). The watch's case is made of white gold and the dark blue dial consists of over 600 stars and is treated with a material that makes it shimmer just like the night sky. The watch also has a moon phase complication makes the illusion of the night sky total. The watch measures a good 37mm and has a power reserve of up to three days.  

Bovet Récital 20 Astérium

The winner of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) prize for the astronomical watch of the year went to Bovet's Récital 20 Astérium. It is easy to understand that the prize went to Bovet in particular, both the front and the back are full of complications that are inspired by constellations and astronomy. The watch is made of both yellow and white gold and has blue elements in the dial. Bovet's work with both the front and the back makes the whole feel like the ultimate space watch. The watch's fantastic design deserves more than to sit on the arm, it ought to be hung up in a museum and get to be enjoyed by the general public. The price? 7.5 million.   

Casio Cosmo Phase 

Over the years Casio has released a number of watches with a space theme. But I have fallen for a watch that was released in 1988, the Cosmo Phase. The watch exists in both steel and plastic variants. The unique thing about the watch is that it can show how the planets including Halley's Comet stand between 1901–2199. Throughout history mankind has always been fascinated by space and wanted to map where the planets stand. But exactly who was intended as the customer for this watch is unclear, I can however note that the ”complication” planet position does not seem to be very common. That is why this digital version is a sure favourite with us.  

Jacob & Co Astronomia Maestro Worldtime

Jacob & Co needs no closer presentation, over the years they have produced a number of watches with the theme of space. Just in today's catalogue there is room for rotating planets, star signs and astronauts. Our personal favourite from the current catalogue is their Astronomia Maestro Worldtime. The functions in the watch include among other things worldtimer, tourbillon and a minute repater. The case is made of rose gold and is 50 mm wide. the dial consists a hand-painted dial of the Milky Way and the planets of our solar system. Around the hands spin the Earth, an astronaut, a diamond and a tourbillon in a magical space harmony.  

Louis Moinet Spacewalker 

The French watchmaker Louis Moinet is usually credited with the invention of the chronograph. Today Louis Moinet's legacy lives on in the brand with the same name and they make exclusive mechanical watches. One of Louis Moinet's themes in its production is ”cosmic art”. In this line there are a number of different watches related to space, the watches are among other things made of meteorites and old rocket scrap and they are often made in collaboration with astronauts and cosmonauts. The watch Spacewalker is a tribute to the cosmonaut Alexei Leonov who was the first man to walk in space and one of the initiators of the symbolic handshake in space between the American and Soviet space travellers in 1975. The watch has a large tourbillon at 12 o'clock that represents Leonov's spaceship and a diamond that represents Leonov (diamond was Leonov's nickname) himself. The dial's background is inspired by space and it is magically beautiful.  

Omega Speedmaster Soyuz

Omega's history with NASA means that the connection between space and a watch brand has never been more obvious. The Speedmaster watch was used mainly by NASA astronauts at the start of the space race with the Soviet Union and what mainly makes the model immortal was that it was along on the first moon landing in 1969. Since then Omega has made a large number of different models of the Speedmaster inspired by the first space journeys. In 2010 came the Speedmaster, ”Soyuz”, (ref. 311.30.42.30.99.001) and it had two different sorts of meteorite stone in the dial. The watch was a tribute to the above mentioned event in 1975 when the American astronaut, Thomas P. Stattford and the Russian cosmonaut, Alex A. Leonov, shook hands in space. The ”Soyuz” has a caseback with a motif showing the American and Russian space rockets and it is fitted with sapphire crystal and the well-known calibre, 1861. The watch was made in a limited edition and has over the years become popular among collectors.    

Raketa Sputnik-1

The Russian brand Raketa was created in 1961, the name means rocket and was a tribute to Yuri Gargarin who was the first human to go to space. Over the years the brand has produced a countless many models inspired by space. The Sputnik-1 model is a tribute to the first satellite in space. The watch is made of the same metal as Sputnik, a form of aluminium–magnesium. The watch has a 24 h grey-white dial, with red details where the seconds hand symbolises Sputnik going around the earth. The watch was released in 500 examples and is 40.5 mm wide, it has sapphire crystal and has an in-house movement, caliber 2624. 

Richard Mille RM52-05

Richard Mille is known for its futuristic elements in design and space is no exception. The RM 052 model is a collaboration with the artist Pharrell Williams. On the dial an astronaut is seen where the planet Vulcan (fictional planet from the series Star Trek) is reflected in the astronaut's visor. The Earth and the starry sky are present on both the front and the back. The watch's material consists of titanium and a crystal that glitters like the starry sky. Space magic!  

Rolex Space-Dweller 

Rolex is not exactly known for space watches, however they have, like the examples above, several models with meteorite stone in the dial. My choice falls though on the very unusual model, the Space-Dweller, which was produced by Rolex in a very limited edition during the middle of the 1960s. The watch was produced for the Japanese market after NASA astronauts had visited the country. The visit by the astronauts was a great success and Rolex wanted to make a tribute watch to the American space travellers. The watch is based on the Explorer model with reference number 1016 with the movement 1560/1570, 36mm case and with the classic 3-6-9 dial. The unique thing about the watch is really minimal, instead of the text Explorer in the dial it says Space-Dweller. The watch, which was produced in a minimal edition and only in Japan, is very unusual but sometimes it turns up at auctions and yes you guessed right, then it usually goes for fantasy sums   

Werenbach B.T.O. Superlative

The brand Werenbach is based in Zurich and makes its watches with material from old space rockets. Over the years Werenbach has produced fanatically fine dials that are made of space scrap the dials therefore became unique. My personal favourite from the brand is the so-called B.T.O. (Build to order) where you yourself choose which dial you want for your watch. All the dials come from a specific space rocket and the customer gets to know all the details about where and when the rocket flew in space. The movement in the watches had a Sellita movement and exists both as quartz and manual. The brand started in 2013 but earlier this year the company said that they will shut down production.