Gagarin The First is a return to the exact model of the the first watch in space, Yuriy Gagarin's watch. In this project we were following all the features of the original design, including 33 mm diameter. The watch is built on the base of a vintage Russian mechanical movement, very close to that which was in space in 1961. However since 1961 the requirements to water resistance changed, plastic glass is not considered as a good solution, etc. That's why the design was delicately improved to fulfill new needs and correspond to modern aestetics.
Ekaterina Fornell. Watch design and rendering. Photoshop, Wacom.
Details.
The vintage-style spherical glass with 2 radii makes the case visually thinner. The slim bezel reveals a dial that is also spherical in shape, as if repeating the glass. The clear, legible minute scale extends beyond the visible area of the dial, enhancing the slimness of the case bezel. The dial numbering is a distinctive feature of this model, its design unchanged since the very first, Gagarin series.
The sleek, long curved hands complete the look of the collection and make it highly functional. The hour and minute hands, like the indices, are filled with a beige shade of old radium. The seconds hand has changed, a fine and graceful line, decorated only by a drop at the tip of the counterweight.
The case is in stainless steel, finished with a combination of polished and stroked surfaces. Its water resistance has been improved, which was a challenge, as the main requirement for this collection was to maintain the graceful proportions of the watch.
The glass is mineral, which makes the difference between it and the original plastic one in terms of durability as well as complexity.
The vintage-style spherical glass with 2 radii makes the case visually thinner. The slim bezel reveals a dial that is also spherical in shape, as if repeating the glass. The clear, legible minute scale extends beyond the visible area of the dial, enhancing the slimness of the case bezel. The dial numbering is a distinctive feature of this model, its design unchanged since the very first, Gagarin series.
The sleek, long curved hands complete the look of the collection and make it highly functional. The hour and minute hands, like the indices, are filled with a beige shade of old radium. The seconds hand has changed, a fine and graceful line, decorated only by a drop at the tip of the counterweight.
The case is in stainless steel, finished with a combination of polished and stroked surfaces. Its water resistance has been improved, which was a challenge, as the main requirement for this collection was to maintain the graceful proportions of the watch.
The glass is mineral, which makes the difference between it and the original plastic one in terms of durability as well as complexity.
The tapered crown, which has an easy-to-use grooves, echoes the design of the original model. The crown is conical in shape, with a convex spherical top that follows the shape of the front glass. The notch on the crown is large enough to allow easy use, while the smooth edges avoid discomfort when winding.
The indexes of the dial carefully repeat the ones of the very first Gagarin Sturmanskie. The indexes are applied in light-mass using relief printing, with a contrasting thin frame.
The hands are clearly shaped, blue-black, luminescent-filled, also mirroring the original. Only the long curved seconds hand is bright red, like the five-pointed star on the dial.
The caseback features an austere and laconic indication of the total run and the serial number of the watch in the series.
The indexes of the dial carefully repeat the ones of the very first Gagarin Sturmanskie. The indexes are applied in light-mass using relief printing, with a contrasting thin frame.
The hands are clearly shaped, blue-black, luminescent-filled, also mirroring the original. Only the long curved seconds hand is bright red, like the five-pointed star on the dial.
The caseback features an austere and laconic indication of the total run and the serial number of the watch in the series.