Bangkok Post : Time on a Spacewalk

SEIKO SPRING DRIVE SPACEWALK I

In October 2008, Space Adventures Company launched one of its space expeditions from Kazakhstan to the International Space Station (ISS). Among those on board the spacecraft was entrepreneur and adventurer Richard Garriott.

The Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk.

During the voyage, Garriott went on an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) - a spacewalk. He was the first private individual ever to do so, and as he stepped out into free space, he was wearing a Seiko Spring Drive watch. It had been specially designed to withstand the extremes of temperature, pressure and radiation involved in a spacewalk, and it performed flawlessly throughout Richard's 12-day flight in space.

Richard Garriott is also the son of a Nasa astronaut. His father, Dr Owen Garriott, made two space flights, on Skylab in 1973 and on the STS-9/Spacelab-1 in 1983. Dr Owen spent 70 days in space and he, too, wore Seiko watches on both flights and carried one continuously during his Spacelab mission.

His son inherited his trust in the brand and contacted Seiko as soon as his mission was arranged. Richard formed the first second-generation space partnership with Seiko.

In December 2008, two Spring Drive Spacewalk watches were also worn by a Russian cosmonaut throughout a five-hour, 38-minute EVA. During the EVA, both the time of day and chronograph functions worked perfectly, even when worn on the outside of the space suit. On their return to Earth, the watches were tested at Seiko Epson's facility, and their perfect performance during the EVA was independently verified.

The Spring Drive Spacewalk watch working perfectly, even when worn on the outside of the space suit.

The challenge of making a watch that could function not only during a space flight but also outside on a spacewalk was a daunting one, and is exactly the kind of challenge that brings out the best in Seiko engineers. It took a dedicated team over three years to test the Spring Drive Spacewalk and new skills, materials and ideas were generated as a result.

The first decision to be made was on the type of movement to be used. Battery-operated instruments are not appropriate for a spacewalk for safety reasons, so quartz movements were out of the question. The choice was between mechanical and spring drive and it would be decided by the need for safety and accuracy.

As the watch would be exposed to temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to plus 70, accuracy at extreme temperatures was the critical factor, and no mechanical watch could retain its accuracy in these conditions.

Spring drive has a Tri-synchro Regulator, an entirely new regulator that uses mechanical, electrical and electromagnetic power, and is less affected by temperature variations. Thus, spring drive was selected as the perfect mechanism for the task.

With its glide motion hands, Seiko Spring Drive is the only watch to reflect the true, continuous nature of time. It measures time without 'ticks', and the perfect, uninterrupted motion of every part of the movement is in perfect harmony with the eternal, continual and precise motion of the planets.

Richard Garriott, an entrepreneur and adventurer.

Richard Garriott hoped that the watch would generate interest in the future potential of space exploration, so one of the two watches he had taken into space was sold at a much-publicised auction in New York in September 2009. Seiko donated the proceeds to the two charities that he supports - Nature Conservancy and the Challenger Center for Space Science Education.

A commemorative limited edition of this remarkable watch is now available to the public and only 100 pieces are being made. The first was released last month. This watch has the same specifications as the watch that went into space with one modification - a screw-in crown is used to ensure ease of manual winding.

The crown on the original was not a screw, and the perfect functioning of the watch, both inside and outside the ISS, revealed that the self-winding mechanism worked flawlessly in space. However, a screw-in crown is used in the commemorative edition to enhance the overall security of the case.

The watch has a ballistic nylon strap. An additional elastic nylon strap, exactly the same as the one used in space, is also included in the special presentation box, and the serial number is engraved on the case back.

The Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk is the first watch designed for use in outer space, and the commemorative edition is now available through selected Seiko retail outlets across the world. RT