The Ollech & Wajs Astrochron is steeped in history. The 1967 original was not only well-known for its ‘triple-register’ chronograph but because it was a personal favorite of NASA’s Chief Rocket Scientist at the time, Wernher von Braun.
The forthcoming 2023 reissue wears its heritage proudly, starting with a North Atlantic blue dial meant as a tribute to its 1968 ancestor. The watch features water resistance up to 500 meters, which is handy for would-be astronauts practicing weightlessness in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. The bezel features a 360-degree rotating compass and a 20-minute diver’s scale for truly mastering the seas.
The Ollech & Wajs Astrochron features the same Automatic Valjoux 7753 OW PRECISION 5 position-adjusted movement that powered its forebear and charges the roughly 54-hour reserve – more than enough time for scientists who need to set theirs aside for a brief spacewalk. The strap is a 20mm 316L stainless steel “beads of rice” configuration that matches the brushed stainless of the case itself.
This piece is beefy at nearly 40mm, but NASA doesn’t go small unless the science says they should. A special diving pusher at 10 o’clock allows for date adjustments, while the Super-LumiNova hands and indexes let wearers know when it’s tee time, even on the moon’s dark side.
The first 56 OW Astrochrons drop on March 10th and are currently available for reservation through the OW website. $2,650 punches a moon ticket.
In other recent horological news, see the Longines Pilot Majetek.
