Chinese Space Watch

SpeedyPhill
Posts
6,700
Likes
12,318
@DoctorEvil

In fact, during the Gemini III spaceflight mission, both astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young wore an Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 and an Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch (tuning fork 214 movement) !
The 4 hours 52 minutes long Gemini III mission took place on 23rd March 1965 and the Omega Speedmaster was not yet flight-qualified for NASA, as that official announcement came out on June 1, 1965... so the 4 Omega Speedmaster chronographs used on Gemini IV were the first official NASA chronographs in use...
MoonwatchUniverse has just completed a complete & detailed overview of the Omega Speedmaster chronographs delivered by Omega to NASA between Oktober 1964 and June 1968...
Remember that in April 1966 NASA has 30 astronauts on active flight status but only had about 20 Speedmaster chronographs...
 
SpeedyPhill
Posts
6,700
Likes
12,318
In fact Shenzhou XII commander Nie Haishen is making his third spaceflight mission and Liu Boming his second mission !
Since 2005 China has been selecting female Air Force pilots in order to train them as Taikonauts... Already on the 4th manned Shenzhou spaceflight mission, Shenzhou IX in 2012, Major Lio Yang became the first female Taikonaut in space... We can be sure the next human on the Moon will be a Female Taikonaut !!!
 
Trev
Posts
2,343
Likes
3,040
The launch footage from this timestamp:
 
amfalconer
Posts
285
Likes
356
Omegafanman Omegafanman
Interesting to see how this all develops.
Modern case backs are interesting.

Strap's on back to front in that 2nd pic surely?

Again more than a subtle nod to the Speedmaster looking heavily like the outgoing 1861/1863 bracelet
 
Walrus
Posts
10,599
Likes
51,649
pdxleaf pdxleaf
Interesting. Consistent with Russia leaving the ISS, the ISS reaching it's limit, the USA drifting with no clear strategy (the Moon!, Mars!, Commercial sub-orbit!, Space Force!, We still go to space?!!).

Russia has experience and knowledge, China has financing, technological and manufacturing ability, strategic direction. If they don't have a mission (including female) on the moon within a decade it'll be more surprising than if they do. Maybe five years?

Hey @Walrus, remember your thread about picking up a Chinese watch overseas and question about their quality? What do you think about these Fiyta? I wouldn't mind one myself.
On it, sent a pic to my brother in law however I got the usually response he’s 99.9% sure he would pick up a fake but he has the info and will give it a looksie
 
Trev
Posts
2,343
Likes
3,040
Walrus Walrus
On it, sent a pic to my brother in law however I got the usually response he’s 99.9% sure he would pick up a fake but he has the info and will give it a looksie
They seems to have an official shop on jd.com , but I haven't found that model yet. When I have a chance I'll dig around more. So many models, lots of random stuff.

74bfaaa2c1aa3512.jpg IMG_2217.png
 
Walrus
Posts
10,599
Likes
51,649
Trev Trev
The launch footage from this timestamp:
Kind of difficult to translate shenzhou but I think to us it would be something like “country spirit” although the way it’s written more like “spirit country”. I think in this case it’s “divine vessel” but it’s tricky as Shen, to use the English word can have several different meanings and I just started and argument with two Chinese friends “inadvertently of course” so my translation days are now over.
Edited:
 
Walrus
Posts
10,599
Likes
51,649
Trev Trev
They seems to have an official shop on jd.com , but I haven't found that model yet. When I have a chance I'll dig around more. So many models, lots of random stuff.

74bfaaa2c1aa3512.jpg IMG_2217.png
https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a550000/fiyta-spacemaster-astronaut-space-watch/
Found a little more info in it. Interesting many of their watches have Japanese movements I don’t know if anyone watched CCTV in China but so many of their shows are about how bad Japan is, and how Taiwan is a sister who left the family and is doing bad things but they rejoice as she comes home and behaves
 
rob#1
Posts
2,008
Likes
3,386
Looks like the Spacemaster is of very limited supply, so how about the Photographer automatic instead, US$400.
It’s a ‘hollow black plate black-belt all match business men’s watch’ that, while nowhere near as cool as the Spacemaster, has the cool skeleton thing going on.

3C8FD7AC-B897-46FA-9D9D-3625331602FC.png
 
ghce
Posts
4,455
Likes
44,541
I am surprised that they have a Japanese movement too, as a matter of national pride I would have thought a proper well made Chinese movement would have been employed.
Edited:
 
Trev
Posts
2,343
Likes
3,040
ghce ghce
I am surprised that they have a Japanese movement too, as a matter of national pride I would have thought a proper well made Chinese movement would have been employed.
There seems to be a mix, a few I saw on Taobao/JD were modded ETA. Not sure what else is around. I've never really looked in to these watches.
 
DoctorEvil
Posts
1,637
Likes
3,205
Trev Trev
Pics of a full-scale core module:

1261624071424_.pic_hd.jpg 1241624071390_.pic_hd.jpg 1251624071399_.pic_hd.jpg
Thanks for the pics. Very interesting.
It's not quite as big as I thought it would be. One can only wonder what it must be like living in something like that for months at a time.
 
ghce
Posts
4,455
Likes
44,541
N notchrishansen
Let’s hope this stays in LEO or it’ll be the ugliest watch on the moon.

Actually it would be the only watch on the moon lol
 
Omega wu
Posts
22
Likes
37
rob#1 rob#1
Looks like the Spacemaster is of very limited supply, so how about the Photographer automatic instead, US$400.
It’s a ‘hollow black plate black-belt all match business men’s watch’ that, while nowhere near as cool as the Spacemaster, has the cool skeleton thing going on.

3C8FD7AC-B897-46FA-9D9D-3625331602FC.png

These are general civilian goods！ It’s not really a Chinese spacecraft watch 😀
 
DoctorEvil
Posts
1,637
Likes
3,205
rob#1 rob#1
Looks like the Spacemaster is of very limited supply, so how about the Photographer automatic instead, US$400.
It’s a ‘hollow black plate black-belt all match business men’s watch’ that, while nowhere near as cool as the Spacemaster, has the cool skeleton thing going on.

3C8FD7AC-B897-46FA-9D9D-3625331602FC.png
Maybe the Spacemaster is Fiyta's equivalent of the "Snoopy" 😁
 
pdxleaf
Posts
5,979
Likes
20,529
I really do like the Spacemaster. (No accounting for taste.)

One of the many intriguing features is the bezel.
Fiyta-spacemaster.jpg

It has eight increments because the Chinese spacesuit can support life for 8 hours. Kindof important and better to put on a bezel than 500 mph on a craft moving 25k mph, like the Speedmaster.

I love the increments. It starts with the traditional triangle. "Yay, I'm going on a spacewalk! Okay, turn my bezel to the start time... Go!"

Then there's the countdown. Nice big dots. Getting to the 7th hour, the dots change to little bars. Nothing dramatic, but enough to get your attention. "Uh, hate to bring this up, but you may want to consider heading back now" says the bezel. "But no rush, we have several more bars left."

Then at the end of the eight hours, nothing. A blank space, nothingness.

After a suitable moment of silence and respect, "FIYTA"! The watch says, well, that was sad, but we're ready for the next one, you can count on us, FIYTA!

Sure, dive watches use a bezel to potentially save your life, but no other watch summarizes life, death and rebirth on one single cycle of the bezel. Sublime.

But the icing on the cake is the alignment of the dots with the hour markers. The dots don't line up with the indexes. It's like the typical communist party reaction to running out of time. One hour of air has been used up, but we say that was exaggerated, you actually have more time because we deem it so.

The shape of the bezel is also attractive. The wave looks like it would be easy to grab. The clean steel also adds to the watch. If it were black, it would make the whole watch seem larger. Together with the dial, it seems like it would wear nicely on the wrist.

Of course, we haven't mentioned those pushers. Almost makes you blush how big they are. Whoever said size doesn't matter hasn't seen these pushers.
 
20 More Posts...
Sign up or log in to reply...