IWC Schaffhausen Unveils Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive Watch for Space Use at Watches and Wonders

The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive has a white fluorinated rubber strap. Space temperatures fluctuate between roughly –150 degrees Celsius/-238 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and more than 100 degrees Celsius/212 degrees Fahrenheit in direct sunlight.

The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive underwent testing at Vast’s headquarters in Long Beach, California.

Testing included exposure to forces of up to 10g. The 10g forces in testing exceeded the vibrations typically experienced by astronauts during rocket launch. Testing of the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive assessed resistance to changes in pressure and compatibility of materials with the Haven-1 environment.

Many watches previously selected or qualified for space were designed for use on Earth, Knoop stated. IWC Schaffhausen learned from experiences with Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn that its watch movements and cases could withstand space conditions but wanted to improve ergonomics and interaction, Knoop stated. The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive is priced at CHF 24,000 ($28,200).

This year marks the 90th anniversary of IWC’s first watch tailored to the demands of aviation.

became the official timekeeper of Vast in 2025.

IWC Schaffhausen provided modified Pilot’s Watch Chronograph pieces to the crews of SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021. Inspiration4 was the first all-civilian private mission to orbit Earth. IWC Schaffhausen provided modified Pilot’s Watch Chronograph pieces to the crews of the Polaris Dawn commercial spaceflight in 2024.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional was qualified by NASA in 1965 for manned space missions and extravehicular activity.

Buzz Aldrin wore the Omega Speedmaster Professional on the lunar surface in 1969, making it the first watch worn on the moon. Astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission wore Omega’s Speedmaster X-33 earlier this month. Artemis II traveled further from Earth than any humans previously.

809) for $156,250 in 2019. 809) had alterations for spaceflight requested by Scott Carpenter for his Mercury-Atlas 7 mission in 1962. The $156,250 Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute belonged to John Glenn.

The $156,250 sale is the second-highest auction result for a Breitling watch, Paul Boutros stated. Prada collaborated with Axiom Space on NASA spacesuits for the Artemis III lunar mission due to launch next year. Virgin Galactic opened sales last month for a limited number of $750,000 spaceflights.