Spaceproof Watches

The first watch to be utilized for space missions by ROSKOSMOS was the legendary Cosmonauts Chronograph. A compact 38mm chronograph featuring a black dial and high contrast LumiNova-coated numerals, hour and minute hands, was equipped with a safety Velcro strap and put on the wrists of EUROMIR 94 crew. During this mission, the watch was tested during multiple EVAs in open space, withstanding the harsh conditions with no effect on its accuracy.

After years of designing and iterating according to feedback received from Russian astronauts, in 2003 a new version of the Cosmonauts watch has been released — the B-42 Official Cosmonauts. B-42 stands for “Beobachtungsuhr” (observation watch) with a diameter of 42mm. The larger case made the handling with space gloves easier and improved legibility of the dial. The tachymeter bezel of the previous model got replaced with a count-up bezel featuring a 0-60 scale, allowing cosmonauts to set time frames and keep track of elapsed time during EVAs more easily. A great improvement was the Superluminova coated dot on the sweep-second hand, significantly improving recording time in low visibility situations.

The B42 Official Cosmonauts is a watch that is carried as standard space equipment during multiple expeditions to the ISS. Astronauts have been wearing it both inside the station as well as outside of it, during activities that sometimes took more than 5 hours to complete. Excessive exposure to varying temperatures (from minus 120 degrees Celsius in the dark to as hot as 120 degrees in the sunlight) combined with the vacuum meant that the components of the watch were withstanding great stress. Despite it all, the watch kept performing exquisitely each and every time. It even once served as a hammer after a cosmonaut had forgotten his tools on the station.

Discover the redefined Stratoliner Collection. First watch made for space travelers. Featuring WERK 17, first manufacture calibre and first movement ever, specifically designed for space. This manufacture movement was tested in collaboration with the Swedish Space Corporation under the harsh conditions of the stratosphere.