Orbital Chronograph
In late 2023 I got an email from someone expressing interest in purchasing one of my second edition Model 255 watches. It came from an individual who works for a government agency best known for putting brave souls on top of missiles and blasting them outside of earths atmosphere.
That agency was NASA.
In my reply to this astronaut I suggested, rather ambitiously, that if something I made was going get hurled into space and spend eight months aboard the ISS, it might as well be something special.
And thus began a five month exchange of notes and emails discussing functionality needed, design ideas and prototyping. An initial functional prototype watch was finished in time for testing and a scheduled launch in August of 2024.
When this launch got delayed I had time to make a few changes. Those few changes escalated into a complete overhaul of the prototype and we ended up with a more refined, thinner, lighter and all around better final version.
The Orbital Chronograph launched on a six month mission to the ISS with Commander Zena Cardman an August 1st 2025.
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6al-4v titanium case bead blasted.
Titanium Hands with ceramic coating.
Titanium unibody dial with Matte Black ceramic coating.
7mm Titanium Screw Down Crown with triple o-ring seals.
Titanium Pushers, 18-8 springs, double o-ring seal
Double domed 33mm x 1.5mm AR Coated Sapphire crystal in front. 26mm x 1mm Sapphire Crystal in Back.
Top Grade ETA 7753 Automatic Movement.
Super-Luminova X2 lume in hands and dial hour markings.
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38mm Case Diameter
20mm Strap width
47mm Lug to Lug
12.5mm Case Thickness
Case weight - Flight Version 59g / Terra Version 64.5g
46 hour power reserve
Calibrated to +/- 7seconds/day
Water resistance checked to 100m.
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Your watch will ship with a FKM (Viton) Vulcanized Rubber band. Ask about color options at time of ordering.
Custom engraving between lugs or on the case back are optional.
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As a single human watchmaking factory the delivery time of your timepiece is somewhat flexible. I’m slowly streamlining the process of standardizing parts and tools to speed up the manufacturing but even still, expect three to eight months from order to delivery. Maybe less. Maybe a lil bit more. I’ll keep you in the loop.
Please note before ordering. Watches are made one by one and depending on my production load can take anywhere from two to six months from purchase time to delivery.
The two remaining Flight Versions of the Orbital Chronograph are also available. Inquire for price.
A very tight production and test schedule on the Flight Version of the Orbital Chronograph meant that the finished watch had to ship out before I had time to take proper photographs. These few snaps from my phone will have to do till it returns to earth in 2026.
The Little Screw with Big Dreams…
A 1/4-20 stainless steel screw began her life as a part of a Space-X launch tower. She watched as rockets blasted past on their way to adventure. She breathed in the RP-1and felt flames scorch her Philips head.
The little screw wished that she too would fly one day. Then by chance, the little screw was pulled from her nest, shipped to Brooklyn and clamped into a milling machine. Her threaded stem was carefully milled, polished, and bead blasted. And when all the fettling was done, a pair of chronograph buttons had emerged. These pushers were fitted to the Orbital Chronograph.
In August this little screw blasted off on her own journey to the heavens aboard her very own rocket.
When you wish apon a star :)
