We will have to admit that novelty watches are not just for kids anymore. In this case, the Swatch Space collection of watches, features the signature and motifs from NASA, the space exploration pioneer. The new collection of Swatch, Space Collection, is made of three models, which based on your personal preferences, you can choose from: The Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular, The Big Bold Chrono Launch, and The Big Bold Jumpsuit.
The watches are almost entirely made of the newest material in the world of watches: Bioceramic. Patented and owned by Swatch, Bioceramic is a product of ceramic (2/3) and the now famous castor plant (1/3). (More about Swatch Bioceramic below) The watches are not so bad either. By that I mean they are absolutely astonishing in terms of timekeeping and design.
However, with a 47mm case, the Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular, Big Bold Chrono Launch, and Big Bold Jumpsuit might not be the watches-to-go if you are looking for something that fits under the cuff. But hey, their playful and vivid layout make them more than suitable for casual occasions or whenever you want to make a statement or something fun and lighthearted is needed. That might also include the office. Check them below…
Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular
Also designated as the hero of the collection, the Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular offers the purest design from the Swatch Space Collection of watches. Its stark white embodies the spacesuits (which by the way cost a whopping 12 million dollars) we are accustomed to seeing worn by astronauts and other details in the design like the red and blue colorway, make the space-inspired Swatch watch a versatile statement piece. It can be worn with a variety of casual outfits and its futuristic shapes and The deep white dial which hosts an intense color play between red and blue will most definitely start a conversation.
Leaving the design aside for a moment to take a look at the watch’s functionality. The new Swatch Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular comes in a 47mm case that is made entirely by the newest Swatch material Bioceramic. Underneath pulsates a Swiss quartz movement that is accompanied with the typically reliable and solid quartz accuracy. It is responsible for the accuracy of timekeeping (hours, minutes, seconds) and a calendar function, which is displayed by a small round date window, perfectly positioned at the 4 o’clock position.
Along with the Big Bold Chrono Launch, the Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular comes with a chronograph function escorted by a special and playful display, staying true to the space sky-fi line. More about the Swatch Space Collection chronograph design is below. Get it on your wrist from here.
Big Bold Chrono Launch
As mentioned above, the Big Bold Chrono Launch has in common with the Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular a new second-to-none concept of a chronograph. Both chronograph models add a lively science fiction sensibility with their subdials, coming with circular indices sliced through by an internal ring. But what really gets all the attention here is the chronograph seconds hand, which unusually begins at 10 o’clock, instead of 12 o’clock. A swath of the outer second’s track is then set to a 10-seconds countdown to zero, followed by the word “LIFTOFF”.
As for the wearing experience, the new Bioceramic material gives the watch an unbelievable lightweight that makes it one of those watches you forget you are wearing. However, it’s bold 47mm case dimension reminds you about it.
The watch certainly wears large but that is somehow sweetened by the strap which flows seemingly into the case, the short lugs, and ultimately, the bold-like entering slope of the case sides toward the wrist. The big but lightweight contrast is a love it or hate it situation, especially if you are into something that feels more substantial on the wrist. But playing devil’s advocate, the chronograph bezels kinda give the watch a slight sense of weight.
Big Bold Jumpsuit
The simplest of all three, the time only Big Bold Jumpsuit, comes in an optimistic light blue which for sure matches well with the trends. It shares the same basic layout of the Swatch Space Collection, including here the printed trapezoidal indices, and the sharply pointed ladder hands.
The transparent bioplastic dial allows you to catch a glimpse of the Swiss quartz movement underneath. The muted red hour markers and white hands complete the rest of the Big Bold Jumpsuit design. Same as with Big Bold Chrono Launch and Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular, the Big Bold Jumpsuit also sports a 47mm case which with the rest of the dial, are accompanied by a vivid and playful almost toyetic space aesthetic. Simply enjoyable!
It is lovely and wearable and at this price range, you simply can not ask for any more features. Surprisingly, Swatch somehow manages to deliver affordable and accurate watches, as they have done since 1983 (founded as a counter-response to affordable and reliable quartz Japanese watches). To sum up, the Big Bold Jumpsuit, inspired by the jumpsuit uniforms worn by NASA astronauts, unlike its aggressive chronograph mates, takes a more reserved look with its optic white main case, red indices, and the prevailing blue. Get it on your wrist from here.
Swatch Bioceramic – A milestone in the history of the brand
As part of the next generation of Swatch materials, Bioceramic is a product of uninterrupted efforts from Swatch engineers to source and produce what at least the Swiss manufacturer calls bio-sourced materials. Bioceramic is created from castor plant seeds (1/3) and ceramic (2/3). In short, Swatch Bioceramic is the newest material in the world of watch manufacturing that comes from the polymerization of castor plants (oil) and ceramic powder.
The compound (bioceramic granules) is later inserted in an injection molding machine that manufactures the ultimate products: the watch cases and the straps. Swatch has been working with bio sourced products for years, to sum up in September 2020, with the launch of the Swatch BioReloaded collection. The new Bioceramic material features ceramic in it – thus the name derives.
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In terms of comfort, it is a whole new territory. Wearing the Swatch watches made by Bioceramic feels like nothing you are used to before. It is lightweight, flexible, and has an almost powdery touch. And the sturdiness, the resilience of Bioceramic, which is the real win for Swatch, makes their watches even more unbreakable.
Reference Models
Swatch took hues from NASA and decided to wow us with their space-inspired Swatch Space Collection of watches which was released on June 3rd, 2021. Recalling again the collection that includes three models from which you can choose from the one that fits your preferences.
Big Bold Jumpsuit
The simpler of all three, the Big Bold Jumpsuit is inspired by blue jumpsuit uniforms worn by NASA astronauts for land-based tasks like everyday facility work. The Big Bold Jumpsuit has a price tag of $125.
Big Bold Chrono Launch
The wilder and darker alternative, the Big Bold Chrono Launch’s colorway represents the “pumpkin suit” uniform worn by NASA astronauts for space launches. The Big Bold Chrono Launch has a price tag of $165.
Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular
The one with the cleanest and most obvious design, the Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular manifests the white EVA spacesuits (with a manufacturing cost of 12 million dollars) worn by NASA astronauts for spacewalks since 1983. The Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular has a price tag of $160.
In Final Words
With the recent space exploration race on fire, watch brands all around the globe are feeling the buzz and they are acting accordingly. The new Swatch Space Collection is made with space exploration in mind, in terms of design speaking. As for their functionality, The Big Bold Chrono Extravehicular, The Big Bold Chrono Launch, and The Big Bold Jumpsuit will serve you well for everyday wear.
Reminding you that Swiss movements are some of the most accurate ones and with quartz power, their accuracy becomes second-to-none. As for resistance, the watches feature the new Swatch Bioceramic material, which will perform 10x times better (at least) than a stainless steel watch against scratches and shocks. There was no downside we could find in the new Swatch Space Collection watches. Even with a water resistance of 30 meters, the space-inspired Swatch watches are suitable for everyday wear, which includes washing hands and resistance to water drops. Showering or swimming with the watch, will most definitely cause irreversible damages. But hey, at this price range, refreshing designs, Swiss movements, and a reputable brand, I would not think twice. And if something that serves as the perfect conversation starter is what you’re up to, the Swatch Space Collection recalls some interesting space stories.
