The watch model designed to celebrate humanity’s journey of exploring Mars has a starting price of $398 and features numerous details related to NASA’s Perseverance mission.
Col&MacArthur, a Belgian watch manufacturer, has introduced the NASA X Interstellar RED 3.721. This watch, inspired by Mars, was designed in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The most notable feature of the watch is located at the 3 o’clock position, which contains dust taken from a Martian meteorite.
According to Yanko Design, the RED 3.721 was launched to honor humanity’s exploration of Mars. On the bezel of the watch, the 12 o’clock position is engraved with the date “February 18, 2021”, the day NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on the surface of Mars.
The frame at the 3 o’clock position of the watch is engraved with the coordinates of Jezero Crater, where Perseverance landed. According to Col&MacArthur, the name RED 3.721 also holds special significance, as the gravitational acceleration on Mars is 3.721 m/s².
The back of the watch is engraved with the NASA logo, surrounded by the binary code of the message “Dare mighty things.” This code was printed on the parachute that helped Perseverance land safely on the Martian surface.
The watch face features a 3D image of the Martian surface, surrounded by the binary code for the date February 18, 2021. The 3 o’clock position also has numbers from 1 to 7, symbolizing the message “7 Minutes of Terror.” This refers to the time it took for the Perseverance rover to enter the atmosphere and land safely on Jezero Crater.
To highlight the design of the RED 3.721, the manufacturer has created a rather simple case made of stainless steel or titanium. Color options for the watch case include black, silver, gold, and bronze.
The most distinctive feature of the RED 3.721 is the window at the 3 o’clock position, which contains dust taken from a Martian meteorite that fell in northwest Africa in 2021. Versions with Martian dust come with a certificate from the meteorite company MSG Meteorites. Users can opt for a more affordable version that replaces the Martian dust with the NASA logo.
The RED 3.721 also offers two different mechanical movement options. The version using the Miyota 8215 movement features a stainless steel case, while the model using the Sellita SW200-1 movement has a titanium case. Users can choose to pair it with either a leather or metal strap.
The manufacturer states that the watch is water-resistant up to 10 ATM (depth of 100 m) and features a sapphire crystal to reduce scratch susceptibility.
The NASA X Interstellar RED 3.721 has been commercialized after raising funds on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The Miyota version with the NASA logo is priced at $398, while the model containing real Martian dust is priced at $497. The Sellita model, with a titanium case and Martian dust, starts at $896. The watches are set to be delivered starting in November this year.
