Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. and space start-up Ispace Inc. have recently joined forces. As corporate partner of Ispace’s planned commercial lunar exploration program, the 100-year-old Japanese watchmaker and pioneer in the use of titanium has now released two limited-edition chronographs dedicated to the upcoming missions that should also bring parts made of the brand’s Super Titanium alloy to the moon.

Both watches, the two-tone CC4016-75E (1,200 pieces) and the black AT8185-71E (1,600 pieces), use Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology, meaning both movements are powered by light and thus never need a battery change. This led to the CC4016-75E being certified as an Ecomark product for the first time in the watch industry.
Back to the Moon

Ispace Inc. aims “to be a vehicle for companies on Earth to access new business opportunities on the Moon and ultimately incorporate the Moon into Earth?s economic and living sphere.” Originating from the Google Lunar Xprize competition, in which Ispace had managed Team Hakuto (named after the white rabbit in Japanese mythology), Ispace is now working on achieving the world?s first commercial lunar exploration program, named Hakuto-R, which consists of Ispace?s first two lunar missions.

The first mission to land on the lunar surface (M1) aims to perform a soft landing on the moon in 2022. The following year, the second mission (M2) should bring a rover for surface exploration and data collection on t...