Model Series: 42mm Stainless with 24mm Screw Lugs

Collected By: Kenneth Martin, Laie, Hawaii, USA

Dial: Mars Meteorite NWA1195

Bezel:Brushed

Movement: Swiss Automatic Modified Omega 1120, 23 jewels running at 28,800 beats per hour

Case:Stainless with display back

Crystal: Scratch resistant Sapphire upper and lower

Retention: 24mm Solid Link Bracelet with double deployant clasp

Hands: Red Gold with Lume, Second hand in red lume

This is a very special watch made from a piece of the Mars Meteorite known as NWA1195. Surprisingly, it is not red but a lovely green stone colored by the mineral olivine. It is classified as a Martian basaltic shergottite (it was once Mars magma.) The total size of the meteorite was 133x43x37mm and only 315 grams. This is the 26th Martian meteorite known to science and it was discovered in 2002 by nomads in Morocco who had been trained to search for unusual stones. The name indicates it is the 1,195th meteorite found in North West Africa. Of about 40,000 meteorites, there have only been 56 that have chemistry indentifying them as originating from Mars. They were blasted out from the surface of Mars by an asteroid impact millions of years ago. The tiny slice of meteorite is worth about $6,000 and it was collected by Mr. Martin for the purpose of making a custom watch. The initial slab was roughly shaped and too thick to use so it had to be carefully cut by a lapidarist to get it to a round disk just over 1mm thick. This was still relatively thick for a watch dial and I had to modify the Omega movement and the case rather extensively in order to accomodate the martian stone. The stone meteorite is more fragile than the metallic meteorites I usually use so the mounting system uses 4 separate machined components to clamp the stone without cracking it. The stone was not large enough to span the case so a copper ring was used to help frame the stone and the copper was engraved with the watch's name "MARS AEROLITE" (aerolite is another word for meteorite). It was a rare opportunity to touch a piece of the red planet. There have been only a couple other watch companies that have executed Mars meteorite watches and they have sold in the $50,000 price range. This timepiece was an epic struggle to build over many months and it is one that I am particularly proud of. The next collaboration with Mr Martin might be a watch containing a slice of the moon!