Access to space. SKZ 100.
The Watch.
The Swatch access to space watch came about
as a result of a recent American shuttle flight. One hundred Swatches were
taken into space on board shuttle Columbia on 22nd Feb 1996 to test their
performance in zero gravity. These watches, with a further production run
of 1,000 were recently offered to members of Swatch the club around the globe.
The watch (I'll have a picture soon!) has a matte black band with carrier
loop saying Access to Space in gold and clear buckle. The case is clear and
has a face of mainly black with the right half showing a picture of the earth
from space with orbit rings around it. The left side has the names of the
six astronauts (Allen, Horrowitz, Hoffman, Cheli, Nicollier, Chang-Diaz and
Guidoni and there is a picture of the Columbia shuttle and STS-75 (mission
number) at the bottom and a satellite at the top. Silver hands with luminous
insert and an orange second hand. It has the manufacture date of S606 (Sion
production line half way through February) which was only just in time to
go into space! There is no country code as it wasn't exported and there is
an 8 digit number printed on the rear in common with all the access watches.
This is, apparently, so your ski pass or whatever the pass is for, can be
reconstructed if it is lost. That about describes the watch but I will get
a picture scanned v.soon. The access watches have enjoyed a rapid success
with cinema goers, concert goers, skiers and beer drinkers but this time something
special was called for.
The watch was awarded to all the people who attended
the Swatch event in Lucern Switzerland on 5/6th October 1996. Visitors were
to arrange their own travel which allowed more flexibility. There was a strong
line up of events which went broadly like this.
Saturday 5th. 2pm - 6.30pm. Visit to the transport museum, planetarium, flight
simulator, air traffic control?, Cosmorama, Aerotrim and Swatch access rally.
The rally consisted of "clocking in" at all the events to qualify for a free
draw later on. The free draw prize was a signed letter of congratulations
from the M.Cheli and B.Stanek and a mini Columbia shuttle containing a Time
Cut Irony chronograph. I can't tell you much about anything else as I was
unavoidably detained at the hotel bar for a majority of Saturday :)
6.30pm Aperitif and buffet lunch at the museum and introduction of astronaut
M.Cheli and "space expert" B.Stanek.
7pm. Dinner. This never actually happened that I know of !
8pm - 10pm. Two IMAX film shows about space (see IMAX if you can !) and interview
with M.Cheli and B.Stanek. And drinks break :) The IMAX films are great if
you don't sleep through them like I did.
10pm - Midnight. Space bar. Drinks etc. at the bar and signing of watches
by Mr Cheli. Sceduled to finish at 10.40 but went on until midnight.
Sunday 6th.
8am - 11am. Breakfast and check out of hotel for all those who were in a fit
state to eat and wake up early. I wasn't able to make that one either.
Noon - 1.30pm. Boat trip with farewell aperitif along lake Lucern taking
in some beautiful scenery. No better way to sober up than a trip around
this beautiful town on an old paddle steamer. There was a good deal of trading,
buying, selling going on afterwards with some great deals going on. I'd
go again tomorrow. If you have the chance to get to an event like this I
would definately do so. It's a great way to find some cheap watches and
you can usually sell the watch (if you are that way inclined) to pay for
the entire trip straight after! I hope that gives you an idea of what was
a great weekend and I can't wait to see you all again at the next on :)
BTW The watch was pre-programed with two days worth of passes to the Space
museum and all the other Swatch related locations in Lucern. A welcome surprise
was to find that all the local buses were free for the weekend to anyone
with the watch.
