Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wars?

[cybr]

Thanks Kasper for Your kind reply, glad that You have enjoyed those outstanding Hamilton's designs from Richard Arbib (me too!).

And now, again before Episode 3 (that will present watches related to the Moon/Lunar Conquest!) , my new watch (I am waiting for it to arrive!) made to celebrate the Moon landing in July 20, 1969 - Apollo 11 Mission - The Ermano Lunastar with a caseback image of Moon Landing/Lunar Module and an Astronaut taking lunar samples + with original box!
Note:I will publish the (hi)story of the watches celebrating the MAJOR LUNAR CONQUEST/LANDING eventually later!

The watch was presented at Basel Fair Exposition in 1970 (even if it was another Ermano Lunastar presented at Basel in early 1969, but without the image on the caseback, because the real Moon landing had NOT happened YET!):
Please read the URL below for the Basel Fair 1970 presentation of the watch and images:
http://www.swisstime.ch/en-watches-ERMA ... 05850.html
Image from 1970 Basel Fair Expo, from swisstime.ch

And now some pictures of my watch + original box:

The watch:


The watch caseback, with an Astronaut ON THE MOON collecting Lunar rock samples and the Lunar Module:


The Original Box stating "Mod Dep Swiss Made" = Modele depose = Registered model


Best regards,

[cybr]

Finally, the watch has arrived.
And even if I was aware - after the online searching about this early Ermano Lunastar watch, that - coming with its original box and original bracelet, it may sport a highly sought after VINTAGE SWISS gold plated NSA bracelet, I STILL had a big surprise:

It is not a regular vintage SWISS NSA GOLD PLATED bracelet, it is the NSA Patented 434845 model, which was delivered, among other famous watches with:
1. famous vintage Chrono Heuer Monaco 1133B (before the TAG HEUER brand)
as one may read at:
https://www.calibre11.com/original-heue ... e-mcqueen/
and an image of the NSA Patent logo from a Heuer Monaco Chrono, image from calibre11.com

where is mentioned that "note that NSA offered this bracelet for other brands, so make sure that it has the Heuer logo on the clasp."
2. with FAVRE LEUBA BATHY 160 US
etc etc

One may see this type of NSA bracelet in SS or gold plated already sold on ebay for various brands as Heuer or Fabre-Leuba below:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-NSA-1133b-bracelet-for-Heuer-Monaco-Steve-McQueen-Chronograph-22mm-/311988993086?hash=item48a3fe3c3e%3Ag%3AZAoAAOSwZC1Z8Kvy&nma=true&si=B0io%252BbKnuSqCeHFs6%252FDIl48PL%252FQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-favre-leuba-bracelet-for-bathy-160-us-Deep-Blue-nsa-Good-Condition-/112637098125?hash=item1a39b1b88d%3Ag%3A0xgAAOSw7eFZ3S2M&nma=true&si=B0io%252BbKnuSqCeHFs6%252FDIl48PL%252FQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


Of course, being delivered with a Swiss Ermano watch, not an Heuer watch, the current price of such a Ermano NSA bracelet will not be the same as the above ones...but I am still amazed about the rarity of such a NSA bracelet...
It seems that the Swiss Ermano company really wanted to impress people at those Basel Fairs in early '70!!!

An now some other photos of this SPECIAL VINTAGE - 1970 - Ermano Lunastar celebrating Moonlanding watch + the original NSA bracelet:[/color][/b]


And the Swiss NSA logo:


Regards,

[Kasper]

Interesting read as allways thanks

saw this one passing by a few minutes ago...looks the same?

snip_20180113093649.png

[cybr]

Thanks Kasper for the image,
Indeed, it seems that in early-mid '70s Zodiac and some other Swiss brands presented quite similar "UFO" shaped automatic watches as Ermano Lunastar, BUT without a MOON LANDING image on the caseback...
It seems there are a limited number of watch brands that have been issued watches meant to celebrate Major Space Conquest achievements...and I will may present them later on this thread, including some other types from Ermano brand.

Anyway, here it is another "UFO shaped" Zodiac - but without a Moon Landing image on caseback - from a current Ebay auction (not my watch!):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-ZODIAC-AUTOMATIC-mens-wristwatch-w-BLUE-DIAL-NO-RESERVE-/152854381099

Best regards,

[cybr]

And...just for fun , I will present here the efforts of Ermano Watch Company to advertise its "exotic/outer space" watch ERMANO LUNASTAR at Basle Fair in early 1970 - in a similar commercial/marketing "luxury" package - as one of the most praised watches of that time: The first automatic chronograph... developed by a joint venture of Heuer, Breitling, Buren and Dubois-Depraz in 1969..THE MIGHTY HEUER Monaco , caliber 11
One may read more about this OUTSTANDING chronograph watch at
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-firs ... -movement/
1. As one may read on my above posts, since 1969, when the Heuer Monaco was launched...it has used a genuine Novavit SA/NSA special type of bracelet, as You may read on the above posts...
1.A. When they presented the LUNASTAR II on Basel 1970, Ermano had used the same NSA "luxury" bracelet as the Heuer Monaco, but in a SS-GP (Stainless Stell - Gold-Plated variant)

2. It seems that nobody knows exactly the BOX of the FIRST 1969 variant of the FIRST automatic chronograph - Heuer caliber 11 (Monaco) 1969, but the 1971 Heuer Monaco, in the Steve McQueen variant, has a customized presentation box like the below one:
Image from https://www.calibre11.com/original-heue ... e-mcqueen/
"If you can find an original Red Heuer box, then certainly grab that to go with the watch. These boxes sell for around $1000 "
https://www.calibre11.com/original-heue ... e-mcqueen/

2.A. Please take a look at THE BOX of the ORIGINAL ERMANO LUNASTAR from the early 70's, look at the material, colour and presentation in the photos and on the URLs presented above...for me it's QUITE SIMILAR with Heuer 1971 Monaco box


So what I wanted to demonstrate, is that ERMANO Watch Company have tried hard to put their 1970 BASLE FAIR EXPO ERMANO Lunastar watch - celebrating the MOON CONQUEST - in a similar "luxury" marketing presentation as one of the MOST FAMOUS watches at that time - THE FIRST AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH - made by HEUER WATCH COMPANY in only cca 1000 pieces...
Regards,

[cybr]

And now this is an important acquisition, at least for me, from the Spaceman watches range
The watch - a Spaceman AUTOMATIC 1972 OVAL launched model, but it is NOT MADE in 1972-1975, only a little later - and it is in a decent condition, it will need only a proper dark brown Corfam Spaceman bracelet and clearly a watchmaker revision.
And even more strange, it is made by the almost unknown Kotana brand.
But it is still a genuine and rare "gemstone" in the Le Marquand designed Spaceman lines...
But for what reasons I have made the above statements???

And, just to animate the discussions here - from what I've seen, one of the most visited thread in this forum (btw, many thanks to all the readers for this!), please tell me your opinion...

Thanks in advance for Your kind answers, and here are some photos from the seller:

The dial:


And its first generation Spaceman watch caseback - made of fiberglass, and inspired from a photo of the 1965 Gemini 4 Space Mission the (pls see the previous posts of this thread for more details!)


Regards,

[cybr]

And just to demonstrate that NOTHING in the Space Age related watch history is (really and fully) established! , I will present You a new watch from my collection:
One of the first Western made watch ( By Camy Swiss Watch Company) celebrating communist USSR's Sputnik Satellite launch from 4 October 1957:
And The Sputnik Brand/ Trade Mark was registered by the SWISS Camy Watch company in Genf und Grenchen, Schweiz at 13.11.1957, a little more then a month AFTER USSR Sputnik satellite launch!!!
There are quite many of them available, since CAMY have produced this line of "Sputnik" watches for almost 10 years ! , but only quite FEW of them have been made in the 1-2 years after 4 October 1957 (4.X.1957), when the FIRST (USSR made Sputnik!) satellite have been launched!!!
But the below one, is a really special watch, one of the first released (!)- and it is already in my collection, so if You want more information, just let me know!
Otherwise, If you want more information about this types of Western/Swiss Made watches, celebrating an Eastern/USSR space achievement, please let me know!!!

My RARE and recently acquired - ALL SS - Swiss FHF mechanical movement, 21 Jewels - cca 1957-1958, and SWISS MADE Camy Sputnik watch:

Please look at the "dauphine" type hands, the "circular guilloche dial" etc etc...it is really genuine '50s Swiss/Western made watch with high quality standards and 21 Jewels, but celebrating the Eastern/Communist block Space Conquest achievements!!!
How often do You think that we will find such a PARADOX in watchmaking history???


Regards,

[gjlelec]

Maybe a bit off subject but i've always referred to these Longines LEDs as "Spacehelmets"

DSC_0010.JPG

[Adam]

Isnt that Robbie the Robot?

[jagmad]

Some other's ie. sellers on Ebay call them the Grail watch?

[cybr]

Maybe a bit off subject but i've always referred to these Longines LEDs as "Spacehelmets"

Isnt that Robbie the Robot?

In my humble opinion, almost all 70's "Space Helmet"-like watches that I know are inspired MORE from SF movies (and not always from the most famous SF movies! -please see the below Target Earth SF movie ), and LESS from the REAL-LIFE Space Age events: e.g. First generation Catena Spaceman face (but not the caseback!) is inspired from Space Odyssey 2001 movie, Catena Spacesonic is inspired probably from the Star Wars 1977 movie etc etc.
For example, that Longines "Space Helmet" LED watch and other later LONGINES LCD watches with the same design (please look at the following URLs for more examples),
Image from http://www.retro-watches.co.uk/watches/K-O/images/16f4-(9).jpg


Image from http://www.retro-watches.co.uk/watches/K-O/images/15MR14-(11).jpg

are probably inspired either from Robby The Robot SF character (1956 movie - Forbidden Planet), OR - even more probably - from an almost unknown Robot body/trunk + head from the almost unknown SF movie (today ), the Movie Target Earth (1954) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047559/?ref_=nv_sr_2, where the Longines Watch case IS THE BODY/TRUNK/TORSO of the robot AND THE UPPER/LOWER LUGS of the watch case are THE HEAD/THE HIP of the robot, while the PUSHER BUTTONS are the Robot's LIMBS joints/connections (please see the following picture from http://monsterhuntermoviereviews.com/wp ... arth-2.jpg)


And another reproduction of the Target Earth 1954 robot from http://www.robothut.robotnut.com/target ... scale.html


I am looking forward for more arguments pro OR against my above statements, from the forum's users
Regards,

[cybr]

And just to underline even more that "ROBOT" "SPACE HELMET?"-like design, in this case PROBABLY related to the ROBOT Torso+Head from Target Earth (1954) Movie, below it is a RARE Tempic LCD Chrono ZEIT COMPUTER =TIME COMPUTER (cca 1977-1978) OF A SIMILAR Robot "HELMET?"-like DESIGN as the ABOVE MENTIONED LONGINES(!!!), but with an ESA 942711 module (same module as in the Catena Spacesonic Chrono or Zodiac Astrodigit Chrono ).
I have a similar watch in my collection, but made by MBO, sometimes a TEMPIC brand partner in Germany in mid-late 70's, as one may read in this older thread of mine - about 70's MBO/Tempic partnership:
http://newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?uid=2004&f=58&t=7900&start=0

Please look at the "robot like", "helmet?"-like case and the FACETED Crystal, FACETED in a quite similar manner as the trunk/torso of the Target Earth (1954) Movie's ROBOT in the above images
Image from https://uhrforum.de/attachment.php?atta ... 1331411781


Another look of the case+ FACETED crystal, image from https://uhrforum.de/attachment.php?atta ... 1331411781



And the surprising caseback, with the bracelet fixed by SCREWS, in a RARE and a similar manner with the famous CATENA SPACESONIC!
Image from https://uhrforum.de/attachment.php?atta ... 1331411781


Regards,

[cybr]

The SPACEMAN WATCHES RED POUCH/BOX...
Any serious Space Age/Spaceman watch collectors have at least one in their collection...but, UNTIL now, not me...
So below, one may find my GENUINE 1972-1974 SPACEMAN WATCH RED POUCH/BOX - (sorry for the blueish photos, but they were made in a hurry with a non calibrated phone camera for the fluorescent lights ):

The Front Face of the rarest GENUINE SPACEMAN watches RED BOX - made from early 70's Space Age new materials ...


Inside the box:

Regards,

[cybr]

And just to wake up this forum and in hope for some replays/debates and/or just for the sake of the debate:
What if all THE RAREST "CARENA" (NOT CATENA!!!) labeled SPACEMAN LCD watches (=SPACESONIC) are - pure an simply - ANOTHER watch brand, not a SWISS registered "CATENA" brand, as every Spaceman collectors may have already agreed???
Some examples of CARENA (NOT CATENA!!!) multifaceted watch, from the so-called "Spacesonic" LCD line are presented on the links below :
http://www.digital-watch.com/DWL/1work/catena-spacesonic-9315
http://www.digitalwatches.de/Archiv/C_Archiv/LCD_Catena_Design2.jpg
http://newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=7099

Image from Adam's website http://www.digitalwatchlibrary.com, http://www.ummedia.com/MY_SITES/seikolc ... c_II_F.jpg

But since they are NOT labeled CATENA but CARENA, COULD THEM be - pure and simply - just only a part OF ANOTHER relatively unknown SWISS BRAND LABELED CARENA - with a very similar logo and (a copied?) design ???
Because it seems there was a fully registered CARENA Swiss brand in the 70's, producing LCD watches and even display boxes, as one may see in the below photo:
Image from Ebay at https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vxsAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg



And - apparently - the only MULTIFACETED LCD SPACEMAN/Spacesonic CHRONO watch truly branded CATENA - NOT CARENA!!! - from SPACESONIC CHRONOGRAPH LINE and with multifaceted crystal belongs to me:


Do You have an answer to this challenge?? Because I have it and many other Spaceman/Spacesonic watches collector's have it , but I expect Your opinions first!
Regards,

[Kasper]

Congrats...this is top class reading stuff..impressive

[cybr]

Thanks Kasper for the post.
You're too kind evaluating my posts, as always...

Anyway, I really want to pay a humble tribute to YOUR influence on my SPACE AGE watch collection habits : since I've read about Your YEMA SPACE HELMET watch, presented by you on this forum and also on this thread cca 3 years ago:
http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=7591


From that moment, I was completely "in love" about that "UNEXPLAINED" YEMA HELMET-LIKE DESIGN - thus I have started to collect those YEMA SPACE HELMET/Space Age related watches from whatever sources I might have been able to find - because they are ALSO outstanding examples of middle-late 70's SPACE AGE watches design and they appear quite RARELY for sell - even if I have now about 10 of them
And on the below photo are only 3 of them (2 watches and a MINT - and only for now EMPTY - golden case :) from my - now quite extensive - collection of Space Age related Yema's:

Thank You for all support and friendly posts,
Best regards,

[cybr]

WOW...I've finally got one...THE RARE AS HENS TEETH ...and so-called "CATENA SPACESHIP" vintage automatic watch
For more information, please see the URL below, BUT DO NOT TAKE as granted ALL that is written there about this watch!!!
http://beautifulwatche.blogspot.com/201 ... eship.html
And until now only 3 or 4 of such watches were reported in the collector's ring!

And this is what I may call a rare AND a TRUE 70's Space AGE watch:
The CATENA AUTOMATIC with an already "classical" for the CATENA SPACEMAN/SPACE AGE series - AS 2066 Movement, basically the same movement as the most rare SPACEMAN AUDACIEUSE - the DAY-DATE model, and with a Catena's model ID:26135...
The watch is huge, BUT - at least in my opinion - BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED: it measures cca 43x35 mm without crown AND the bottom part of the DIAL MATCH the brushed Stainless Steel CASE color, as one may see below


BUT why the NICKNAME "CATENA SPACESHIP"??? Please look at the below photo - MULTIFACETED SS CASE + FACETED CRYSTAL and a BOLD "SPACE AGE" profile!!!!


And finally, the caseback, and the Catena ID number of the model:26135, which may place this RARE and almost unknown CATENA SPACE AGE watch/(prototype???), somewhere between 1973/74 to 1975/1976...


Regards,

[cybr]

When Catena Watch Company men have launched the Oval Spaceman at Basel Fair in 1972, it seems that they were prepared also for an "worst case scenario" - that the Space Conquest (and SF movies) inspired Spaceman Oval watch may not be a real success on the market.
Thus, as some people may know, they had also prepared another Spaceman design - the less "outer space" and more "earthly" SPACEMAN7z , without the helmet-like mask, with a circular dial and different bezel on the case.
And it seems that it was meant for the more "conservative" buyers.
Fortunately, the Helmet-like Spaceman, inspired from Space Odyssey 2001 movie was a real success.
So the production of the "more earthly" SPACEMAN7z was quite brief and in a quite limited numbers.
Thus today, Spaceman7z is a very sought after watch in the Spaceman collectors ring.

AND now, the interesting part: at the beginning, only Spaceman7z watches with black and dark-brown dials were known/reported in the collectors ring, as one may read in the Piotr's excellent website:
http://www.crazywatches.pl/spaceman-7z-lemarquand-1972
Finally, the ultimate Spaceman watches' expert and also my friend Ronni from the 70swatchesgallery website has been able to find and to report some examples of Spaceman7z watches having a cream or even a blue dial , as one may read below, on his blog:
https://70swatchesgallery.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/spaceman-watches-the-7z/

But until now NO ONE has seen or reported a GREEN dialed Spaceman7z.
And here it is, already in my small collection:
The one and only (at least under current collectors knowledge! ) - Green Dialed Spaceman7z in mint condition, sporting a DAY-DATE automatic AS 2066 movement (similar with all the Day-Date Spaceman Audacieuse watches) and - as expected - with a rare and "legit" CREAMY Corfam bracelet
The green dial:

Another view of the green dial:

And the white fiberglass caseback, with the famous image of the USA astronaut Edward G. White spacewalk from 1965 :


Regards,

[cybr]

When communist USSR's Sputnik Satellite has been launched in 4 October 1957, The Sputnik Brand/ Trade Mark was registered by some Western watch companies probably hoping to develop some new watch DESIGNS wearing the SPUTNIK brand name
One of those 4-5 Watch producing companies was - surprise, surprise - the Bulova Watch Company, Inc. / J. Bulova & Cie. Biel, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Schweiz; New York, USA; who registered the Sputnik trademark in 14.11.1957
But prior was the SWISS Camy Watch company in Genf und Grenchen, Schweiz, who registered the Sputnik brand at 13.11.1957, a little more then a month AFTER USSR Sputnik satellite launch!!!
And even more, CAMY have registered also THE SPUTNIK launching DATE , as the brand/trademark "4 X 1957" registered by Stroun Freres SA / Camy Watch SA / Cronel Watch SA Genf, Schweiz at 27.3.1958!!!

One may see my recently arrived and probably the first original DOUBLE BRANDED CAMY watch - with BOTH SPUTNIK and "4 X 1957" brands and a very original REGISTERED design (Modele Depose 21560) in the photos below / - produced most probably in the middle of the Year 1958:

And since the Beginning of the Space Age Design Era is commonly attributed to the launch of Sputnik in October, 4, 1957 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Age_(design)#Space_Age_design, one may find on the below watch, probably one of the first TRUE SPACE AGE DESIGNS EVER MADE!!!

1. Finally on my hand, with with BOTH SPUTNIK and "4 X 1957" brands on the dial. Please look also at the very interesting dial with the SPUTNIK satellite orbiting the (dusty?) EARTH


2. The caseback labeled BOTH SPUTNIK and "4 X 1957"


3. The REGISTERED MODEL (= Modele Depose 21560) - this is not from my watch, since I did not opened mine yet!

Best regards,

[cybr]

Now I am really glad to present you a "missing link" between the CATENA Spaceman watches and the various Catena prototype watches (that I may present later on this thread ), Catena prototypes made BEFORE AND AFTER the FAMOUS 1972 Catena Spaceman/Spaceman7z OR 1974 Catena Spaceman Audacieuse OR Catena Spacesonic from 1977 etc
Here it is my new addition to my small collection and UNIQUE (=first one reported in the collectors ring; =very rare; =first one I have seen etc ) Catena Alarm watch (prototype?), sporting an AS 1930 Alarm movement, a movement made in only cca 127000 pieces between 1969 and 1974.
http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db. ... wk&AS_1930
Thus the Catena watch below - having also a Spaceman-like LOGO,and with a Catena SN 11181, may be dated somewhere between 1972 (most probably, because of the Catena Spaceman-like LOGO/symbol)!) and early 1974 (the date when AS 1930 movement was out of production!), a production time confirmed also by the five digits early 70's Catena SN: 11181.

Thus I kindly ask You: DID you saw somewhere a similar watch, having the same CATENA NAME with those specific CATENA Spaceman-like FONTS??? ...and also a Catena LOGO/symbol - above the Catena name on the dial - a logo/symbol found otherwise only on the Catena Spaceman watches???
Thanks in advance for Your kind answers!
The Catena (prototype?) alarm watch

...and its quite rare AS 1930 Alarm movement, with Catena SN 11181, useful to predict the manufacturing years

Best regards,

[cybr]

Wow....This is a very special and very rare early 70's watch, celebrating Lunar/Moon conquest:the special LUNARAMA watch - double branded Ermano (the owner of Lunarama/Lunastar brand - and please remember the previously presented Ermano Lunastar! ) on the caseback and Jaquet-Droz BRAND on the dial (yes, it is the same famous brand of today very expensive Automaton watches, but a brand also available in the 60's-70's in Swiss made market for quality watches! )
It is a 20 ATM - 200M Water Resistant watch ( a quite rare watch in the early 70's! ) and it is even sporting a contemporary and rare TROPIC 19 mm Diver bracelet :)).
Also the watch CASE is one of the first - IF NOT THE FIRST ONE !!! , with a fiberglass/plastic case with a TESTED 20 ATM WR/Water Resistant!!!

The front image and the dial :

The (Ermano branded) LUNARAMA caseback, with an image of an astronaut taking Moon/Lunar Samples, near the Moonlanding module... (seller's photos - I will clean it at my watchmaker )


Please tell me if you want more information about this outstanding and rare Space Age Era watch!
Best regards,

[cybr]

Why is this Ermano/Lunarama- Jaquet Droz watch so interesting?
In this post, I will present some infos about the Ermano's LUNARAMA, LUNAMAR and of course LUNASTAR brands, all of them celebrating Lunar/Moon Conquest, while in the next posts I will post some true history about the Jaquet-Droz brand - from the outstanding watchmaker of the XVIIIth Century, to the 1960-1970 interesting Swiss Association of cca 150 watchmakers (not only three watchmakers, that were producing low quality watches, as many detractors are presenting them today ) and to the present day JAQUET DROZ luxury brand :

1. First of all, the above watch is branded LUNARAMA - a brand registered in January 7, 1970 by the same Ermano SA Watch Company that have registered and presented also the Ermano's Lunastar watches at Basel Fair in 1969 and 1970, as one may read above on the presentation of my vintage Ermano's Lunastar watch.
LUNARAMA brand was also meant to celebrate Lunar/Moon conquest,thus the watch has a picture of an astronaut taking Moon samples near the Moonlanding module.
The watch case is made from plastic (Delrin?); IT IS SPORTING A INTERCHANGEABLE PLASTIC BEZEL THAT MAY INCLUDES a WorldTime,a Tachymeter and a Diver's BEZEL, and it was tested as water resistant at 20 ATM (200M), the same as the dedicated DIVER's version of a Ermano's watch, branded LUNAMAR.
Thus it may be one of the first 20 ATM water resistant watches made of plastic, in early 70's!

And now some photos:
A complete set, including the plastic interchangeable BEZELS for the Ermano LUNARAMA watch:
Image from https://klockrent.files.wordpress.com/2 ... rmano1.jpg

And the caseback of a 20 ATM LUNAMAR Diver's Watch
Image from:https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/ZQAAAOSwNRdYBO-B/s-l1600.jpg