IWC Schaffhausen and science communicator explore time in the space age

Swiss luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen has partnered with science communicator Kwang-Hyun Oh to delve into the concept of time in the burgeoning space age. This collaboration aims to illuminate the significance of time in an era of increasing private space exploration, explaining its complexities to a general audience.

The partnership, showcased in conjunction with IWC's 'Next Space Age' exhibition at The Hyundai Seoul, addresses the question of why watches are necessary for space. The content highlights the unique temporal experience in orbit, where the International Space Station orbits Earth every 90 minutes, resulting in up to 16 sunrises and sunsets daily. Astronauts rely on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) for mission-critical tasks, underscoring that precise timekeeping is paramount for both mission success and safety.

This focus on accuracy in extreme environments aligns with IWC's nearly 90-year history of engineering watches that maintain precision under demanding conditions, beginning with its first pilot's watch in 1936. As human activity expands into space, IWC is collaborating with commercial space technology firm Vast to develop watches optimized for the unique conditions beyond Earth.

The growing private space sector and space tourism market are fueling interest in specialized equipment and technology. Industry observers suggest that the 'New Space' era could become a new frontier for technological competition in the luxury watch industry, mirroring the growth of the pilot watch market alongside the aviation industry's development. IWC, founded in 1868, is known for its Pilot's watches and Portugieser series.