Cosmonauts

I am, for better or worse, a romantic.  And while I will always revere the astronauts that came from the US, I have a deep rooted fascination for the cosmonauts from what used to be known as the Soviet Union.  And when I got the chance to buy an a Gagarin watch, well I couldn't say no!  I have had this watch in my own collection for a lot of years now.  It does not have a tourbillon.  It is not gold.  It does not give me stock prices.  And to be clear, it is not political.

But it makes me happy when I wear it.   And at a time where you don't need a watch, isn't it better when it makes you smile?

Enjoy your watches

FORTIS Space Art Contest starts now!

I don't know about you, but I was fascinated by space exploration.  From NASA's astronauts, the Cosmonauts of the Soviet Union.  Well, if like me you are a frustrated "star voyager", here is your opportunity to get a little taste of what it might be like -

Swiss watch manufacturer FORTIS, well-known for their precise chronographs 
for aviation and space, has set up the special FORTIS Space Art Contest to celebrate the brands 100th anniversary.

A QR code connects directly with the contest
on the FORTIS website.

The prize:

The experience of weightlessness during a parabolic flight and a
FORTIS B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph, which is part of
the official equipment on space missions.

The winner will accompany a crew of scientists on board
a zero-g plane and assist them with their experiments in 
weightlessness.

Participants from the age of 18 years on, from all over the world
can take part in the contest.

To be part of the international FORTIS Space Art Gallery,
 submit your creative art
such as pictures, graphic works, videos or even songs- 
everything is possible.
The only requirement:  it has to deal with the “Space” theme.

Immediately after the upload the worldwide voting starts.

The online community is the jury and decides on the winner by their votes
until 31st March, 2013. The contest has started now!

Please check out the first entries:

http://zero-g.fortis-watches.com

Astronauts and Cosmonauts

Yes, it is safe to say that although I was born a bit after, in many ways I feel that I am a child of the atomic age.  As a Northern Youth growing up in Ohio, I idolized John Glenn - as my whole family did.  Particularly the one event that went something like "oh my God, you're John Glenn", and the Senator's reply:  "I know lady, who are you?!"

And for those astronauts - it was Omega and the Speedmaster.  This is my vintage 1969 model - I am on the hunt for a bracelet for it - but otherwise it is all original, as you can no-doubt tell from the wear on the bezel.


But the cosmonauts had something equally cool (at least in my opinion) if not so sophisticated.  And when Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin piloted Vostok 1, he wore something sorta' like this -

This is the 50th anniversary edition of the the Gagarin from Sturmanskie.  And on that note another 15 day review begins!

We know all about the Omega Speedmaster Professional, so it's time to learn about it's "Eastern Cousin".  


Stay tuned Tovarich!  15 days with the Sturmanski Gagarin has begun!