{"product_id":"nasa-space-shuttle-tile-spinoff","title":"NASA “Space Shuttle Tile” Spinoff","description":"\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"_12FoOEddL7j_RgMQN0SNeU\"\u003eModel\u003c\/strong\u003e: NASA “Space Shuttle Tile” Spinoff\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"_12FoOEddL7j_RgMQN0SNeU\"\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e: 2000s\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimited Edition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 500 Pieces\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong class=\"_12FoOEddL7j_RgMQN0SNeU\"\u003eFeatures\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Origin. \u003c\/strong\u003eIn the early 2000s, the President of a small discount shop in Japan somehow managed to convince NASA to part with some of its proprietary material so that he could get Seiko to build him 1,000 custom watches. I was prepared to accept I would never know how any of that came to be, but the President of that tiny shop gave a simple explanation during an interview: he had a friend that worked at NASA’s Spinoff program. Ah, the old “not what you know, but who you know” adage!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Program.\u003c\/strong\u003e For anyone unfamiliar with the Spinoff program, it refers to companies repurposing NASA’s space-related technologies for non-space-related things - for example, memory foam was originally designed to protect test pilots but would eventually become widely used inside our mattresses. So what’s been repurposed here?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Artifact.\u003c\/strong\u003e The photos have probably already given the game away, but in case you haven’t spotted it, the dial was constructed from one of the heat-resistant tiles designed to clad space shuttles. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Specifics.\u003c\/strong\u003e There’s a big difference between something that’s been deemed space-worthy, and something that’s actually been into space. Over the years, certain brands have muddied the cosmic waters with claims of “a watch like this watch went into space - isn’t that cool?” We get it, Omega, that is cool - but a literal part of this watch shielded the Endeavour Shuttle from heat damage as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Mission. \u003c\/strong\u003eNot to dwell too much on the mission itself, but the decision to use the silica-based tiles from the STS-47 mission wasn’t random. It was a Japanese-American research shuttle that conducted experiments in space for almost eight days, but most poignantly, it was the first NASA mission primarily dedicated to Japan’s experiments. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Collaboration.\u003c\/strong\u003e The project was undertaken in collaboration with Space Age America Inc., whose president was former NASA astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. He might not be a household name like Armstrong, but he had the distinct honour of being part of the three-man Apollo 12 mission - the second crewed mission to land on the Moon. Gordon’s signature even appears on the documentation supplied with the watch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Summary. \u003c\/strong\u003eIts quiet Japan-only existence has made people erroneously assume it must be some sort of fake, because how could a real Seiko x NASA watch not be better known? It’s a reasonable question, but one I’ve hopefully answered clearly today:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s an authorised NASA design, made by Seiko, in collaboration with Space Age America Inc for Otoboke Co., Ltd, a small Japanese discount shop in Koto, using the thermally resistant cladding of the STS-47 shuttle that travelled into space during the 1992 Endeavour Spacelab-J mission. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e In very good condition overall. Some minor marks can be seen on the case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"_12FoOEddL7j_RgMQN0SNeU\"\u003eScope\u003c\/strong\u003e: \u003cspan\u003eBox and papers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"_12FoOEddL7j_RgMQN0SNeU\"\u003eMovement\u003c\/strong\u003e: Seiko VD57 Chronograph\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCase Width: 42.9mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLug to Lug: 46.8mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCase Thickness: 12.3mm\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLug Width: 20mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBracelet Length: Up to 7.5 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":60787086623054,"sku":null,"price":640.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0788\/8977\/9534\/files\/NASA_Seiko_Space_Shuttle_Tile_Spinoff_Chronograph_Watch.jpg?v=1789231504","url":"https:\/\/provenancewatches.com\/products\/nasa-space-shuttle-tile-spinoff","provider":"Provenance Watches","version":"1.0","type":"link"}