Space Set

SKZ 100 Access to Space
SQZ 101 Beatnik Mission
worn during the July 28th, 1999 MIR Space-walk
Beatnik Satellite, 1999

In the tradition of the Swatch Group, space has been a definite field of play. The Group has been able to build incredible relationships with the Research and Development Departments of the two space powers; in effect, OMEGA is the Official Watch of both NASA and its Russian equivalent. And, during the historical Mission Apollo 11, the OMEGA Speedmaster was the only watch to make it to the moon.

It was easy to imagine that Swatch was going to join its bigger "sister Brand" into space and make a global statement of its own.

Swatch created Access To Space for Claude Nicollier, the first Swiss astronaut chosen by NASA, to wear during his third mission in space in 1996. A real tribute to an exceptional and pioneering man and his peers from the pioneer and ever-changing "enfant terrible" of the Swiss watchmaking industry!

When the Internet started to make a difference in the world of communication and business relationships a parallel came to mind with the Sputnik project, which had kept millions of people the world over gazing upwards and watching it pass over their head…a real global phenomenon!

Through Sputnik, Swatch found great inspiration for an amazing new adventure in space- the launch of Swatch .Beat, the first ever worldwide timing device created and based on Internet Time. Swatch created the BEATnik satellite launched from the MIR mission during its trip around the universe.

An ideal project rich in symbolic values and using the word "peace" to identify itself, was an ideal way for Swatch to establish its relationship with the meaning of Internet Time: a new dimension where from all over the world, people's hearts are "beating" at the same time.
 

Starting bid USD 2,500
Final bid USD 8,000 


The actual satellite in the auction:


Beatnik Satellite, 1999