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Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wars?

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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post18 Dec 2018, 23:35

So, who was the famous Pierre Jaquet Droz (1721–1790)???
Basically he is the father of the first amazingly complicate AUTOMATA/AUTOMATON mechanisms in history:
"Constructed between 1768 and 1774 by Pierre Jaquet-Droz, his son Henri-Louis (1752-1791), and Jean-Frédéric Leschot (1746-1824), the automata include The Writer (made of 6000 pieces), The Musician (2500 pieces), and The Draughtsman (2000 pieces).
His astonishing mechanisms fascinated the kings and emperors of Europe, China, India, and Japan.
Some consider these devices to be the oldest examples of the computer. The Writer, a mechanical boy who writes with a quill pen upon paper with real ink, has an input device to set tabs, defining individual letters written by the boy, that form a programmable memory. It has 40 cams that represent the read-only programme.

The work of Pierre Jaquet-Droz predates that of Charles Babbage by decades. "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Jaquet-Droz

Automata by Jaquet-Droz
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0RnT4JBuEI

And the first mechanical computer :grin1: - Pierre Jaquet Droz the WRITER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY_wfKVjuJM
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post05 Jan 2019, 23:54

I have discovered that I cannot really delete a previous post of mine :(. This is not OK for me.
I will post it later, when my very rare item will arrive :)
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post23 Jan 2019, 14:40

Because the rare item previously mentioned has finally arrived, I will present it below: :mega:
Sorry for my previous message- I've started to present it earlier, but I've changed my mind: I just wanted to be sure that the watch will arrive safely to me, before presenting it. :grin1:

Anyway, by chance I was able to source another ULTRA RARE Space Age Jovial Vision 2000 watch as the one presented earlier in this thread (pls read my previous posts about it ) and also on the famous collector Watchismo's website :-D :
https://watchismo.blogspot.ro/2007/07/1 ... -time.html

Since even today only about 5 Space Age Jovial Vision 2000 watches (prototypes?) were reported in the collectors ring (2 out of 5 such watches being mine :mega: ),I think the we may call them as Watchismo proposed: a true Space Age "vintage holy grails"
... :grin1:

This one is a little different than the other one I have:
- it has a date function, but not a seconds hand :-)
Image

Be aware that the Basel Fair 1970 advertising also presented a Jovial Vision Watch without a SECONDS hand
Image of Jovial Vision 2000 Advertising from Watchismo's website, https://watchismo.blogspot.com/2007/07/ ... -time.html

Image

- it has the serial number Patented Model 16.8352, not Patented Model 16.8350 as the previous one I that I own - presented below:
Image

- it seem to have an original strap, or at least a very similar one with the one advertised on Basel Fair 1970 advert (pls see the above Watchismo's advert):
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post24 Jan 2019, 10:37

I don't want to clutter your impeccable amazing story and watches to much...but..

tumblr_lsu713Q7dK1r2gtxeo1_500.gif


:O`~ :O`~ :O`~ :O`~ :O`~ :O`~ :O`~ :O`~

:dwf:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Hey you all...this board is FREE and without ADS, so at least post something every now and then to show your appreciation.


Get the latest active topics of the board here.
http://www.newdwf.com/search.php?search_id=active_topics

- Kasper -
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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post25 Jan 2019, 12:10

Thanks Kasper for You kind words... :-)
It seems that I was just lucky...and I may agree somewhat :grin1:
Anyway, I want to thank You for all the encouraging messages and Your invaluable feedback,
Best regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post29 Jan 2019, 02:20

Please remember that THIS YEAR we celebrate 50 YEARS from the Apollo 9 to Apollo 12 NASA Space missions,
including the successful Apollo 11 FIRST Moon/Lunar Landing on July 20, 1969. :mega:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Apollo_missions
Thus please be prepared for more watch stories, celebrating those outstanding Space Conquest achievements from the late 60's-early 70's, and I am talking about watches from my or other vintage watch collections... :grin1:
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post03 Mar 2019, 03:51

Together with other vintage Space Age memorabilia and watches, I have recently acquired also a Medal given to the participants of the 21st International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Konstanz, West Germany, 4-9 October 1970:
http://www.iafastro.org/events/iac/past-iacs/
It seems that at this particular IAC Congress, where the famous Apollo 13 crew has participated and for the first time a large delegation of the USSR kosmonauts were also present, there was a room for "No doubt, scientists from all over the world were ready for every cooperation".
But, "Although Soviet cosmonaut Dr. Boris Yegorov and US-astronaut James McDivitt were drinking brotherhood, some differences remained visible." :grin1:
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a13/21stAstroCongress.html


An article telling about the USA Astronauts/USSR Kosmonauts meeting in Konstanz, Okt. 1970:
Image from https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a13/21stAstroCongress.html
Image

Anyway, it seems that the Medal has some particular things:
There are some errors MADE on the medal PRESENTATION (please see the below photos), e.g.: :mega:
1.On the backside of the medal: The Russian kosmonaut Alexey Leonov has made the first spacewalk in 1965 (18 March 1965) not in 1964, as it is written on the Medal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Leonov
2. On the front side of the medal:
2.a. Even if it is presented correctly on the Medal the USA Saturn V Rocket - designed by Werner von Braun (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V), the Russian Rocket on Right side OF the medal has no connection to the real ICBM missile designed by Sergei Korolev to launch in SPACE the USSR missions (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Korolev). :-D
2.b. BUT the most interesting thing is the rocket presented in the CENTER of the MEDAL's front face , that may be a precursor of the Space Age rockets, but is famous for other things than SPACE AGE and IT IS INTERESTING WHY WEST GERMANS HAS INCLUDED IT IN A 1970 MEDAL CELEBRATING SPACE RACE CONQUESTS!!! :grin1: :grin1:

Thus, for the sake of the debate, can You tell me what EARLIER ROCKET (= before the Space Age :-D ) is presented IN THE CENTER of the below MEDAL's image, a medal issued in West Germany and in 1970 TO CELEBRATE the Space Race/Space Conquest??? :grin1: :grin1: :-D

Front side of the 1970 Astro-Kosmo-Nauten Medal:
Image

Back side of the 1970 Astro-Kosmo-Nauten Medal:
Image
Best regards,
:dwf:
Last edited by cybr on 19 Jul 2019, 23:12, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post10 Mar 2019, 02:12

This is a really rare Spaceman Jump Hour watch. :mega:
A Spaceman Jump Hour/Direct read watch, acknowledged by Doensen as being made in 1977 (and knowing what I know today, I may doubt this a little - at least when I may look at the Catena's Serial Numbers for Spaceman Watches :-D ) : :grin1:
But about these timeline problems in the famous Doensen's book, probably in other posts... :grin1:
https://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/c16.html

Anyway, this watch movement is in a working condition, but the watch it is NOT in a good/excellent shape:
- it is missing the seconds jump hour dial, but I already have a spare part for it. :grin1:
http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&0&2uswk&AS_2082
Image
- but it has the ORIGINAL brown leather strap, which is quite rare - at least according with my friend Ronny's website - THE ULTIMATE WEB SOURCE REGARDING SPACEMAN WATCHES :mega: :
https://70swatchesgallery.wordpress.com ... jump-hour/


The front face of the watch - with the missing SECONDS dial :-(
Image

The other side of the watch, showing the VERY RARE ORIGINAL SPACEMAN BROWN LEATHER bracelet :
Image
Regards
:dwf:
Last edited by cybr on 19 Jul 2019, 23:08, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post11 Apr 2019, 21:54

Today, another rarely seen LCD Space Age/Helmet-like watch, from the very old French based Mougin Piquard watch brand:

Thus, would You believe that the Mougin Piquard brand/factory, basically the French manufacturer of this cca 1977-1979 watch - under my current knowledge, the first ONE reported in the collectors ring, but with a Space Age/Helmet-like design LCD watch and sporting a SWISS ESA 9315 LCD module - have started in Besancon/France in 1852?!!?? :mega:

Practically, the French Mougin factory/brand (started in 1852 + the later Piquard name) has been started for example at the same timeline with the SWISS based Omega Brand (cca 1848), Tissot (cca 1853) and much earlier than Breitling (cca 1884), Rolex (cca 1905) etc etc :eek:

One may read more about the Mougin Piquard history and its main brand ELIX, in this excellent article on the URL below:
http://largevintagewatches.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-history-of-elix-watch-brand.html

And now some photos of my watch:

On my hand, The Mougin Piquard LCD ESA 9315 watch, sporting a rare NOS and vintage (cca 1970) brown Swiss Made rubber strap, somehow similar with the SWISS made TROPIC rubber bracelets:
Image

The watch caseback:
Image

Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post22 Apr 2019, 00:29

Because this tread - that included many very rare SPACE AGE RELATED mechanical/automatic and/or Digital/LED/LCD watches - it is very visited, thus counting many visitors, I would like to present to YOU a completely new question about this OCTO watch MISSILEMASTER advertising, an somehow early Atomic Age/Space Age advertising :
This is an early OCTO watch advertising: :-D
Image

The above presented watches advertising, will present a "Missilemaster" watch that may be an early example of some very special watches - during the Atomic Age/Space Age EARLY time, for example, but not already demonstrated purposes of :grin1: :mega: :
1. The possible watch industry's answer for the Cuban Missile Crisis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis ??? :grin1:
2. The possible watch industry's answer for the Lunar landing, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_landing ???? :grin1:
and for many others Atomic Age/Space Age related event(s) etc etc :grin1: :grin1:
??? :-)

But I AM ALREADY VERY CURIOUS about Your personal opinion about such event(s):e.g about WHEN THE FIRST MISSILEMASTER WATCH HAS ARRIVED in the watch market and WHY ??? :grin1:

AND NOW I ALREADY HAVE SOME (early and rare examples) OF THEM!!!
This is an early OCTO MISSILEMATER watch face from my little collection, and please ASK me for details if You want more information: :grin1: :-D
Image

Thus I kindly ask Your opinion about them, as being relatively unknown to the main collectors of the Atomic Age/Space Age Watch Collectors!!!

THUS - as an extras - PLEASE tell what DO YOU THINK about the MAIN ATOMIC AGE/SPACE AGE event celebrated by such an OCTO "Missilemaster" watch in late 50's and early 60's????
:eek:
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post16 Jul 2019, 17:54

What could be more apropriate to be presented on this topic, in the day of July 16, when - exactly 50 year ago -
the USAs ASTROnauts have departed from Earth in order to land on the Moon on July 20/21, 1969
, than another

Zodiac ASTROdigit LCD watch

added to my small watch collection.
Needless to say that it is also a Helmet-Shaped watch :mega: , even if its CASE is not, at least momentarily, in its best condition/look, but nothing that could not be solved with a visit at my skilled watchmaker :grin1:
But it is working well and it's truly a rare find!

Best regards,
:dwf:
PS. For those who may wonder, there ARE NOT missing seconds digits on the display! :grin1: The ESA 942711 module could display permanently either the SECONDS OR the DATE, by pressing 3 times the uper right button. Thus, the watch is showing the DATE - July 7 on the display, the date when the photo was taken.
1. The watch itself...
Image

2. and its Zodiac labeled caseback
Image
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post19 Jul 2019, 12:42

Sorry for the blured images, but Photobucket seems that has changed quite recently, WITHOUT any notice for the regular users (and AGAIN in the last 2 years!!! :-( ), its photo "sharing" policy, by allowing shared images for regular users, but only of an already blured by Photobucket "version" of the original picture.

Thus, only three days ago my photobucket shared imaged were like the original, but with a Photobucket's "host.share" watermark; now they are blured BY Photobucket not only watermarked :bang:

So, can You recommend me a free photosharing service, that treat its users more polite? :-(
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post20 Jul 2019, 12:19

TODAY we celebrate exactly 50 Years from an outstanding STEP for the humankind:the MOONLANDING! :mega:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

Thus, a proper watchstory should be presented here, today. :-D
But it will not be about ERMANO Space Age - Lunarama, Lunastar, Lunamar, Lunalady, Lunasport, Lunatime, Lunavision, Lunatron - watch brands celebrating MOONLANDING and registered in early 70's by Ermano SA, Biel, Schweiz. Even if some of them are presented in some previous posts in this topic.

It will be about the iconic and Ultra Rare Jovial Vision 2000 Space Age watch.

To discuss it, please take a closer look at the 2 images - basically Jovial Vision's early '70s Basel Fair advertising below, taken from Watchismo's website:

Basle Fair advertising: "You may not be able to GO TO THE MOON YET, but You [...] can wear this VISION 2000 watch of OUTER SPACE CONCEPT "
Image

In conclusion:
1. Its clear that the watch is made to celebrate MOONLANDING, because the watch advertising has indirectly mentioned Moonlanding by the eventual intention of the watch owner to go to the moon as an imposible objectiv YET (1970) - at least for the regular humans other than the astronauts.


2. But what OUTER SPACE CONCEPT SOURCE was the ONE that this prototype's WATCH DESIGNERS have been mentioned here????? :scratch:
2.a. Is it some sort of Space Helmet??? I was not able to find in the SPACE RACE or in SF movies before 1970 such a specific space helmet!!!
:bang:

2b. But please take a closer look at the "silhouette/profile" of the watch, in another closer image taken from Watchismo's website:
Image

And now rotate it - in you mind 90 degrees left! :-D

The watch PROFILE/SILHOUETTE may look like THE ALIENS HEADS presented in this 1969 artwork presented below, isn't it???
:mega:
Image from https://scribe4haxan.tumblr.com/post/14 ... s-hr-giger
Image

The ABOVE image is taken from an NOW FAMOUS 1969 album - BIOMECHANOIDS - of NOW a VERY FAMOUS SWISS artist -H.R. GIGER,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._Giger
and BELOW is another 1973 image from his work:
Image from https://uploads8.wikiart.org/images/h-r ... n-1973.jpg
Image
Giger is ALSO the author of the famous 1977-1979 ALIEN for the 1979 ALIEN movie!!!!

So, as THE FINAL CONCLUSIONS, the Jovial VISION 2000 WATCH:
1. Was made to celebrate the MOONLANDING, A TASK posible IN 1970 (and also in 2019!!! :scratch: ) ONLY for the astronauts but NOT YET for the regular people :Prost:
2. But the regular people may buy the Jovial VISION 2000 watch, because its CONCEPT it's from OUTER SPACE - in my humble opinion - basically inspired from the well known in Switzerland FANTAStic realism ARTWOrk OF THE SWISS ARTIST H. R. GIGER, as it was published IN HIS ART ALBUM/PORTFOLIO BIOMECHANOIDS in 1969!!! :mega:

https://www.hrgigermuseum.com/index2.php?option=bio&act=l&pg=6&lang=en
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post21 Jul 2019, 11:44

PS. As I have mentioned above, SWISS artist H. R. Giger is now even more famous as being the artist behind the ALIEN CHARACTER IN THE FAMOUS MOVIE ALIEN (1979) science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_(film)
One may read more about the H.R. Gigier Necronom IV, the art that inspired the ALIEN character in the movie, below:
http://alienexplorations.blogspot.com/1 ... om-iv.html
Necronom IV, image from https://1.bp.blogspot.com/
Image
||
Alien movies, image from static-bluray.com:
Image
Regards,
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post08 Sep 2019, 15:35

Finally, I have found a rare CARENA (not CATENA!!!) Space Helmet watch presented in the photos below.
The watch has the same module as the 1977 Mondaine Digi Solar watch,
http://www.vintagelcd.com/vul/item/495/
module having a LCD made by Swiss Company Brown Bovery, as one may read in Doensen's book:
https://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/n2.html

Thus may be an educated guess that this specific CARENA watch was made for the Swiss CARENA (NOT CATENA) brand by Swiss Mondaine watchmaking company who provided also the movement/module, in the same manner as for the other CARENA watch sold on catawiki 2 years ago.
Please see the CATAWIKI auction's photos below, including the other Mondaine module/movement for a CARENA QUARTZ (NOT CATENA!!!) watch:
https://auction.catawiki.com/kavels/11772141-carena-swiss-made-digital-vintage-collector-s-wristwatch-1970

And now I think that I have the answers for two BIG questions (answers that will be presented eventually in a later post):
1.Who made the FAMOUS CARENA (NOT CATENA!!!) branded SPACESONIC watch and for whom if not for the CATENA brand?
Image from Adam's excellent http://www.digital-watch.com website:
Image
2. Who owned the CARENA (NOT CATENA!!!) watch brand if it was a SEPARATE brand, as it seems to be?



And now some photos of my recently arrived SPACE HELMET CARENA:
1. The 1977 Mondaine/Brown Bovery LCD movement first screen
Image
2. The second screen including the date/month display, specific to that Mondaine/Brown Bovery
Image
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post12 Sep 2019, 21:50

An now some answers at the BIG questions presented above:
1. First, Who owned the CARENA (NOT CATENA!!!) QUARTZ watch brand if it was a SEPARATE brand, as it seems to be?

It was not easy to find, but I had the impression that I saw somewhere else that specific CARENA brand, written with the same fonts and in the same manner! :grin1:
Thus, please see the photos below, and please look at brand name and design of that CARENA letters:
Did You see the similarities between brand letters and the font used???
:mega:
1.a Carena SX 300 camera
Image

1.b. Famous CARENA Spacesonic, image from Adam's website and mentioned before:

Image

The CARENA camera brand was another large range of cameras branded carena sold by Porst and Interdiscount.
As one may read at https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Porst,
" Photo Porst was a German distributor and retailer of many brands of cameras. It was founded in 1919 by Hans Porst in Nuremberg, Germany. For many years Porst bought cameras from other manufacturers, among them Adox, Agfa, Balda, Braun, Dacora, and Franka, and rebadged them. In the early years, it used the Hapo brand, an acronym of Hans Porst, from the 1930s to the end of the 1950s. Later on, the house brand cameras appeared under the PORST name, e.g. PORST compact reflex or PORST 135 BS.

The Carena brand arrived in 1960 as the name of a movie camera made for Porst by Büro-und Rechenmaschinenfabik in Liechtenstein. It came to be used more widely by Porst as an brand name for a variety of cameras.
The Carena brand was sold to the Swiss company Interdiscount in the 1970‘s for use by it‘s own camera retail business."


And Interdiscount was and still is one of the MARKET LEADERS for home electronics in Switzerland.
https://www.tgw-group.com/en/news-press/press-releases/interdiscount-opens-fully-automated-warehouse

Thus the educated guess is that CARENA (QUARTZ) watch brand was a short lived electronic watch brand owned by Interdiscount - the SWISS major home electronics seller.
Basically they tried to sell in late 70's (cca 1976-1979) SWISS MADE electronic (LCD) watches with high quality SWISS modules/movement provided by Mondaine, Catena etc, brands that - most probably - produced also the entire line of CARENA QUARTZ watches for INTERDISCOUNT.
:grin1:

2.THUS, the Famous CARENA (not CATENA!!!) labeled SPACESONIC watches were most probably produced for the SWISS Interdiscount's CARENA watch brand, by the SWISS CATENA watch factory, using SWISS MADE ESA modules 9315, 942711 etc :mega:
Of course, those Spacesonics labeled CATENA (NOT CARENA!) or labeled LIMIT INTERNATIONAL were produced also by Catena, who owned the design rights for the entire Le Marquand SPACEMAN/SPACESONIC line, no matter what watch brands were written on the dial: Fortis, Zeno, Tressa, Omax, Limit etc etc!
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post16 Jan 2020, 14:31

This is a truly rare find and a new addition to my small collection, a first generation Spaceman watch with:
- a mechanical/NOT automatic movement
- a rare dial with the simply SPACEMAN word on it, with a differently designed RED dial and without the Spaceman logo on the dial;
this is an early Andre Le Marquand's Spaceman design presented also in the Doensen book - but in the white variant (pls see in the link/photo below, on the right side, the white early Spaceman watch)
https://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/fotos/c16a.jpg
- the rare burgundy/black coloured strap - NOT the basic red faced/white back of Spaceman's strap - a burgundy strap specific to the early USA launched model
https://70swatchesgallery.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/spaceman-oval-red/
- a rarer burgundy red - not white or black - fiberglass PATENTED caseback, with the image from the first NASA/USA Astronaut Space walk in history, on the Gemini 4 Mission - June 3, 1965, by the astronaut Edward H. White

And some photos:
The watch face and the EARLY SPACEMAN's design of the dial, without the SPACEMAN logo + the burgundy/USA model Spaceman strap:
Image

The watch RARE red/burgundy caseback, with the image of the astronaut Edward H. White spacewalk - on Gemini 4 mission:
Image
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post24 Feb 2020, 15:28

Now I will present to You a very controversial watch,made in 1969 together with an UFO-like PLASTIC box/case and celebrating also 105 years of ELGIN watch company history and -indirectly and using an UFO like case in 1969, after the astronauts have been gone to the moon, the moonlanding:
It's all about the latest Automatic ELGIN watch, made in 1968-1969, by USA based Elgin Watch company-a company founded in 1864, and some Swiss based companies that have tried hard in 1969 to revive the Elgin brand, that ceased production in USA as soon as 1964, and produced more watches until 1968-1969 only based on the remaining stock of pieces:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Nat ... ch_Company
After that atempt, "the rights to the name "Elgin" were sold and subsequently resold multiple times over the years."

But, as You may see below, in 1969 they tried to pack the automatic Elgin watch in a revolutionary (for 1969!) PLASTIC case that resembles an UFO shape, stating inside that are more than 70 millions watch pieces produced in 105 YEARS of Elgin company history, since 1864 until 1969! :grin1:

The "UFO" shaped PLASTIC (a new material for 1969!) box/case and the latest - 1969 - true Elgin automatic watch, with the original "art-deco"-like bracelet:
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Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post02 Jul 2020, 08:55

My latest addition to my little SPACEMAN watches collection: another ultra rare automatic SPACEMAN JUMP HOUR, that includes an even more rare brown original leather strap.
Thus, the watch is in a non-modified, ORIGINAL STATE. :-D
The watch was designed by Andre Le Marquand in 1977 (?), has an enameled brown case, a stainless steel back and the matching brown broad leather strap.
https://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/c16.html
It uses a special variant of AS 2072 automatic movement - the so called digital :-) AS 2082 movement, found also in some other jump hour watches from that timeline, such as Cauny, Enicar, Avia, Lorenz etc
http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&0&2uswk&AS_2082
One may read more about these elusive Spaceman Jump Hour watches on my friend Ronni's excellent website:
"The Spaceman jump hour model is terribly scarce, and units of this model available in the market in original condition are unlikely. Most probably, this couple from the collection of Watchismo, might be of the very few units, that retain their original state."
https://70swatchesgallery.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/spaceman-jump-hour/
Regards,
:dwf:
spaceman_jump1.jpg
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Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post19 Oct 2020, 12:46

Hi to all,
I just bought another iconic and VERY RARE watch in the Spaceman/Space helmet (hi)story of 1950-1970 watches, a watch advertised by the outstanding Watchismo collector in 2007, as a really odd/really strange yet a fully Space Age watch, that may have appeared even before the famous Andre LeMarquand Spaceman Audacieuse watch from 1974 :grin1:
" Similar to the Spaceman Audacieuse of the early seventies with it's anglular space age styling, unsure which came first. "
https://watchismo.blogspot.com/2007/08/ ... 1970s.html
I already documented this Lucerne Swiss Made Space Helmet/ "1970's Greenhouse Watch " according to a joke of Watchismo :grin1: , so I will post a full (hi)story of it, as soon I will receive the watch, which is on its way now.
Image
So keep in touch, if You are interested...to learn something new about the Space Age watch (hi)story of the early 70's... :-D
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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cybr

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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post05 Nov 2020, 14:16

The watch has arrived and is as I expected, an early Space Helmet watch, produced by a relatively little known Lucerne brand, before the Spaceman Audacieuse of 1974 :grin1:
1. There are many people, including watch collectors, that say that the Lucerne brand/ or even a specific Lucerne Watch Company did not really existed in watch history. That is only a "phantasm" brand that borrowed the Lucerne name from a Swiss Town. :-(
For those people I recommend the following read of the NAWCC (USA National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors) FORUM, that already have debated this thing:
https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/lucerne-watch-company.29302/
And the posts #15 of that thread is from a former worker of the Lucerne Watch Company in the New York in mid' - late 1960s:
"It was a company in New York City. It was my first job out of secretarial school and I worked in the back office which was in a building on 5th Avenue directly across from Lord & Taylor. I don't remember the address but it was between 39th & 38th Street directly on Fifth Avenue. (419?) It was on an upper flour (5th?) and was divided into 3 section. The front, fancy section was the sales staff. Behind them were all the secretaries, accountants, billing, etc. In the very back was a section where people assembled watches sitting on long benches. The watch parts came from Switzerland. Many assemblers were European immigrants. I used to go back there occasionally, mainly because I was curious [...]I left in 1966 when I got married & moved to Boston. [...]It was owned & run by a German American family. "
2. Thus, the Lucerne watch brand and even some local USA subsidiaries named Lucerne Watch Company were registered by D. Gruen & Sons Columbus (OH), Cincinnati (OH), New York und Toronto, USA; Biel, Genf, St.-Imier und Madretsch, Schweiz; bis maximal 1973, according to the Swiss Registration Office.

So, the Lucerne Watch Brand was a real Swiss brand...with some major USA ramifications!!!
:mega:
And the next post will be about this very special Space Helmet/ Space Age watch made under the Lucerne brand...and how it may precede the famous 1974 Spaceman Audacieuse design of Andre Le Marquand...
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Spaceman watches inspired from Space Oddysey and Star Wa

Post09 Nov 2020, 15:19

So, that specific Lucerne watch was made by D. Gruen & Sons registered in USA and also in Swiss until late 1973.
They have developed ALSO some special Modele Depose made from plastics + serial number of the model watches in the late 1973, including a Lucerne Racing Teams, modele depose = registered design no 10892, as one may see below:
Lucerne Racing Team Noryl serial number:
Image
Lucerne Racing Team Noryl face:
Image
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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