The SVPER11 NASA Apollo 11 Landing Site Inspired Watch
The Apollo 11 mission, if anything, acted as a massive event in human unity, as people across the globe gathered in front of their television sets to talk about mankind’s greatest space achievement. 50 years later, the moon landing is still our biggest space exploit till date, and is even today considered as an achievement for mankind, rather than for just one country. In that very spirit, Rafal Czaniecki designed the SVPER11 watch, a testament to man’s most exciting journey into space, complete with tiny details that pay tribute to the moon and the landing site.
The SVPER11’s most distinct detail is its 3D watch face, complete with contour lines and 3D surfaces that take inspiration from the Apollo 11’s landing site in the Sea of Tranquility. Centered exactly at the landing site, SVPER11’s seconds hand comes in a red X shape, mimicking the feeling of a sweeping radar as it scans the lunar surface. A Japanese Seiko movement allows the seconds hand to have a sweeping action, making it truly look the part. Speaking of looking the part, the watch’s crown is inspired too. The red hexagonal-gear crown takes direct inspiration from the Apollo 11 Spacesuit’s red oxygen valve, giving the watch yet another beautiful easter-egg in its design details. As far as easter-eggs go, a final detail lies hidden in the watch’s metal clasp. On the underside of the clasp are etched the exact lunar coordinates for the Apollo 11 moon landing, making the SVPER11 an absolutely perfect watch for any space-fanatic! The watch comes with a mineral glass upper, complete with a scratch-proof sapphire coating. The watch face underneath is simple and sophisticated. Other than the SVPER branding, the watch switches out the numbers for stick-markings, making it truly universally appealing.
SVPER11 isn’t just another moon-inspired watch. It’s a watch that is truly Rafal Czaniecki’s magnum opus as an industrial designer. The watches come in a spectacular set of colors, ranging from Lunar Red to a black variant, and even a white one, in keeping with the moon’s black and white surface. There’s also a golden Kapton variant, taking inspiration from the astronauts’ golden-foil space blankets. The watch’s body is made from a single piece of stainless steel, and it comes with a special ceramic plaque at the bottom, paying tribute to everyone at NASA who worked on the lunar mission. Lastly, the watch packs an accented nylon strap with a silent velcro, making it look truly out of this world!
