The First Commercial Space Station Just Got an Official Watch. It’s Not an Omega

The Omega Speedmaster is by far the watch most associated with outer space, and it remains the only watch authorized by NASA for use during extravehicular activity (AKA space walks).

But dozens of other watches have ventured outside Earth’s atmosphere, from early astronaut favorites like the Rolex GMT-Master to Fortis’s continuing flights with various space agencies around the globe.

One brand that has recently taken a liking to outer space is IWC. Last year, the Schaffhausen-based brand created four special chronographs to accompany the crew of the Polaris Dawn mission, with the space-worn watches later being auctioned off for charity.

Now, IWC is entering the next phase in its conquest of space by being named the official timekeeper of the solar system’s first commercial space station.

IWC

International Watch Station

Founded in 2021, Vast plans to kick off the next Space Age by launching the first commercial space station. Currently under construction with plans to launch next year, the Haven-1 space station will function as a state-of-the-art “human-centric” space station for both private astronauts and government projects.

Vast’s ultimate goal is to create long-term living solutions for humans in space, and Haven-1 is the first step toward that goal. Central to reaching that literally lofty goal is the Haven-1 Lab, a facility on the station devoted to research, development and manufacturing in outer space.

That’s largely where IWC’s watches come into play.

IWC/Vast

IWC will develop prototype space watches, which will then be tested by Vast at the company’s headquarters. Vast will put the watches through simulated launches and test their material compatibility with Haven-1, in the same way it tests other critical equipment that will be used on the space station.

However, the partnership has even more ambitious goals in mind for the future, with IWC stating that its ultimate goal with the Vast partnership is to “enhance the durability and performance of mechanical watches on Earth and push the boundaries of watchmaking in the environment of space.”

IWC/Vast

Reading between the lines here, it sure sounds like IWC hopes to one day build a watch in outer space. That would certainly “push the boundaries of watchmaking in the environment of space,” and since the Haven-1 Lab will boast manufacturing capabilities, it seems like IWC already has the perfect venue for launching, so to speak, the first space-made watch.

IWC points to its near-century of experience as a maker of pilot’s watches as proof that it is the watchmaker best suited to accompany Vast on this next generation of space travel, and if the brand actually does end up manufacturing a watch in space sometime in the future, then Omega might just have to relinquish its title as the definitive space watch.

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