ESA has launched the first clock showing time on Earth and Mars in association with the Swiss watch brand Omega, which manufactured the watches for the astronauts of the Apollo program.
Its price, without taxes, is around 6,100 euros.
Developed in association with ESA’s Mars exploration teams and tested at ESA Estec (European Space Research and Technology Centre), this new watch, called the Marstimer, is space-resistant and ready to be used on a future mission to Mars.
It is the latest addition to the Omega Speedmaster family of watches, which has a long association with space exploration. They were worn by the Gemini and Apollo astronauts of the NASAthe most famous during the moon landing missions. Astronauts continue to use them today, even on the International Space Station, ESA reports.
The initial concept for the Marstimer came from ESA engineers and scientists, who they wanted a watch with Mars-specific mission functions to help operate the Rosalind Franklin rover. The team contacted Omega and this led to a partnership to create a new watch.
The Marstimer was developed under ESA patents. It includes features from the previous ESA-Omega collaboration on the X-33 Skywalker that used ideas from ESA astronaut Jean-François Clervoy, plus several new ones. For example, in addition to telling the time on Mars, the X-33 Marstimer you can find true north on Earth and Mars without using a magnetic compass.
To ensure that the Marstimer was ready for space, a suite of tests was developed with Omega and several prototype watches were successfully evaluated at ESA ESTEC. As a result, the watch bears the words “ESA Tested and Qualified” on the case back.