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Seiko
Spacewalk
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Spring
Drive Spacewalk is specially designed and
built to accompany the first private individual
( Richard Garriott ) to conduct a Spacewalk.
Richard Garriott, famous video game designer
and adventurer, will become the 6th private space
explorer and conduct his space mission aboard
the International Space Station in October 2008.
As Richard goes out into free space, he will be
wearing a Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk.
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| Seiko specialists did not consider
quartz movements as battery-operated instruments that
lack special treatment are not used for a Spacewalk for
safety reasons. Thus, they had to choose between a mechanical
movement and Spring Drive.
The mechanism to be incorporated by the Spacewalk must
guarantee the maximum safety and accuracy, even when
the watch is exposed to an extreme range of temperature
from - 20°C to + 70°C.
The ability of the watch to provide accuracy at extreme
temperatures is of the greatest importance, but no mechanical
watch can maintain its accuracy in such conditions -
the traditional escapement responsible for regulating
the time in all mechanical watches is characterized
by the inherent instability in the extreme conditions.
That is why Spring Drive has become the best solution
the Seiko specialists could find.
The Spacewalk watch is equipped with the Spring Drive
Chronograph Caliber 5R86. The mechanism provides the
following functions: hours, minutes and seconds, calendar,
GMT , 72-hour power reserve, and 12-hour chronograph.
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| Unique Characteristics of the Spacewalk: |
1.
Air-tight case
The watch case needs to be completely air-tight to allow
the timepiece operate in the vacuum of free space. Seiko
based the creation of the Spacewalk watch on its rich
experience in the field of divers watches able to resist
pressures up to 1,000 meters. Spacewalk incorporates special
features to guarantee air-tightness in the vacuum of free
space. In particular, Seiko engineers developed a new
type of gasket, having applied a rubberized material. |
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2.
Light weight of the case
Instruments to be used in space must be extremely light
and strong. The case of the Seiko watch was crafted in
high -intensity titanium, the material 40 percent lighter
than stainless steel. The 100-meter waterproof construction
weighs just 92.5 grams.
Seiko engineers had to make the case not only light
but also as large as possible. To offer great readability,
they designed the case to have minimum volume but maximum
dial opening size. They built the case, 53.0 x 48.7
mm in diameter, 15.2 mm thick, with recessed sides,
having come up with a new engineering solution, using
a Seiko-in-house CNC (computer numerical control) machine.
The innovative process allowed to reduce the volume
of the case material by 30 percent. Altogether, the
Spacewalk watch has the case characterized by the optimum
balance of strength, lightness and wide dial opening.
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3.
Great readability of the dial
The Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk watch features a new
layout, with the chronograph dials placed at the top.
The timepiece has the specifically designed hands and
hour markers covered by the additional layers of Seiko's
Lumibrite material. The dial has become at least three
times brighter than a traditional luminous watch. |
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4.
Extreme comfort of use
The Seiko watch has been designed with over-sized
buttons that can be easily pressed even when wearing
thick space gloves. The buttons are placed at the
top of the case for easier access. |
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| Seiko will produce the Spring
Drive Spacewalk watch in a limited number of only 100
pieces. Richard Garriott will take 3 pieces to accompany
him on his mission, while the rest of the space-proof
watches will be distributed worldwide in December 2008.
Estimated Price: US$26000 |
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