The renowned Swiss brand presented a great commemorative timepiece – Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX Chronograph, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Swiss watchmaker in Space, as well as the first successful SpaceX mission. Crafted in the limited number of pieces, the new watch recalls the spirit of the iconic Heuer stopwatch 2915A that happened to be the key part of John Glenn’s equipment, while orbiting the earth in Friendship 7 Spacecraft, back in 1962.
One year earlier, the U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, revealed the ambitious government’s plan of landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade. That was the beginning of the space race that resulted with some of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. After Soviet astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, successfully orbited the earth, in April 1961, Americans responded on February 20, 1962, with the Project Mercury. Piloting the Friendship 7 Spacecraft, John Glenn orbited around the earth three times. NASA decided to equip its astronaut with an extremely durable and accurate Heuer 2915A stopwatch, fitted with a custom-made elastic band, which became the first Swiss timepiece in outer space.
Exactly 50 years later, Tag Heuer celebrates this great achievement by launching a stunning Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX Chronograph. For the special occasion, the Swiss watchmaker reinterpreted the iconic Carrera case with a new, making a larger version with the diameter of 43mm. The case of the commemorative timepiece is crafted in stainless steel with nicely polished surfaces, including a bezel, a crown and Chronograph pushers.
A great silver dial brings together the past and the future of space travel, presenting several nicely reinterpreted elements from the iconic Heuer 2915A, as well as symbols of the latest spaceflight, made by SpaceX. Triangle markers at 12 and 6 o’clock positions, printed Arabic numerals that indicate minutes, as well as the shape of the central chronograph hand, all recall the design of the original.
The graphic at the 9 o’clock position shows the lettering “1962-2012” and an image of the SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage and Dragon spacecraft in low Earth orbit. (SpaceX is the first commercial company to send a spacecraft to orbit and return it safely to Earth, in 2010. This year, its Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial vehicle to successfully attach to the International Space Station. It is interesting that Carrera SpaceX Chronograph was the part of this groundbreaking mission. It was the ultimate test for the manufacture Calibre 1887 mechanism. After Dragon spacecraft had safely landed the Earth, Tag Heuer’s trademark movement still operated normally, showing its extraordinary durability and accuracy, even in the most extreme conditions.)
Finally, on the 3 o’clock position, there is the Tag Heuer logo and the lettering “First Swiss Watch in Space”. The dial features the standard arrangement for the Calibre 1887 models. There is the 30-minute counter at the 12 o’clock position, the 12-hour sub-dial with the date aperture is at the 6 o’clock position, while the small seconds takes the 9 o’clock position.
A scratch-resistant, smoked sapphire case-back with the SpaceX logo and applied image of the Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft reveals the high-end Calibre 1887 self-winding mechanism which is the perfect mechanism for the perfect timepiece.
A bespoke distressed brown leather rally strap provides a doze of vintage sporty elegance, complementing the exquisite design of the new Carrera Calibre 1887 SpaceX. This great watch is limited to 2,012 pieces, each individually numbered and engraved. For those who would like to see original John Glenn’s timepiece, it is on display in the National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. Its replica is exhibited at TAG Heuer’s 360° Museum in La Chaux de Fonds,Switzerland.
