SPACEMAN OVAL LeMARQUAND 1972
Andre LeMarquand is one of the biggest designers of the XXth century. His “Spaceman” is a cult item for all collectors. Designed as an astronaut helmet – a tribute to the first landing on the moon – it was shown to the public in 1972 at the famous Basel Fair by the Catena watch company. It was a hit almost like the Swatch 10 years later and as a unisex watch it was worn in the colorful 1970’s by men and women. The watch was so popular that even more known companies ordered them with their logo on the dial (Fortis, Jules Jurgensen, Zeno). Andre LeMarquand is until today creating his watches is his small family factory in Bulle, Switzerland and his shops are located in the USA, Arab Emirates and Russia. Read more about LeMarquand on the company website.
The Spaceman not only contains the highest grade 17j. or selfwinding 25j. AS movements but also the materials are very high quality. The case is made of durable light fibreglass which was used in the 1960/70’s almost exclusively in the spaceindustry. The strap is made of semi-leather durable material called Corfam® by Dupont, which was used on astronaut spacesuits. It’s almost like leather but is very strong yet remains elastic and comfortable. The movement has a detachable stem and is taken out through the glass, while the strap is held in the case with a chromeplated steel ring with a color mask. A colorful leaflet and red box are a real premium for every collector. Many of these Oval Spacemans are stored as collectables and even today unworn pieces are easily found... although the price keeps on rising :)
Keywords: spaceman, catena, le marquand
Market value: 100-450$ (color, condition, leaflet, tags, box)