SPACEMAN – THE SPACESONIC LCD
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SPACEMAN – THE CATENA SPACESONIC LCD
SPACEMAN – THE CATENA SPACESONIC LCD
CATENA SPACESONIC LCD
(PHOTO JCJM)
CASING: Stainless steel
MANUFACTURER : CATENA
MODEL: Spacesonic
MOVEMENT:ESA 942711
WATER RESIST: YES (5 BAR)
BRACELET : [SS]
RELEASED : 1977
Como esto es un Blog, y vamos en orden inverso,
el primer spaceman que vamos a ver, es el Último.
SPACEMAN CHRONOGRAPH LED
La Cuarta serie de los Spaceman de Le Marquand lanzada a finales de 1977
(photo Jon Howse)
Existen 4 variantes de este modelo,
Una version cronografo, y una sin crono, manufacturados como Catena o en inglaterra bajo la marca Limit International
Ademas de una version con calendario perpetuo tambien manufacturado como Carena y el exiguamente comercializado prototipo Audacieuse Spacesonic
Este es el autentico spaceman spacesonic CRONOGRAPH fabricado por Catena
Directamente Inspirado en la Guerra de las Galaxias de 1977,
este llamativo cronógrafo con diseño tipo casco de Darth Vader, digno del Teniente Starbuck
o de los cylones de Battlestar galactica
fue el ultimo spaceman en ver la luz a finales de 1977.
Un verdadero «santo grial» dificilísimo de conseguir
EL CALIBRE
El movimiento es un ESA 942.711 suizo firmado por breitling
El calibre Esa 942.711 era compartido por varias marcas relojeras en los 70 y
por tanto podia venir con firma o generico sin ella,
Generic Esa 942.711
Aparte de BREITLING otras marcas que usaban dicho calibre eran
EDOX,RADO,CERTINA o BELTIME por ejemplo
Mismo ESA 942.711 Firmado por certina como 780-24
(Caseback with aperture lip near the «Stainless Steel» engraving)
La tapa trasera se lee 394-116, y tiene una especie de labio para la apertura facil al lado de donde pone grabado «stainless»
Con o sin el logo de catena central, dependiendo de si es la version fabricada por catena, o por limit international.
EL CASO ES QUE ESA
nunca proporcionó un libreto de instrucciones propiamente dicho, tan solo existe un pdf
con el listado de fornitura
Podeis descargarlo aqui
Ademas, el calibre resulta ser bastante temperamental con el paso del tiempo,
En la esa 942.711 para entrar en modo chronógafo, primero hay que presionar el boton inferior izquierdo
3 veces rapidamente, para pararlo o arrancarlo, boton superior derecho,
y para resetarlo a cero, hay que pulsar ambos a la vez
para regresar al modo horario normal hay que presionar el boton izquierdo 3 veces de nuevo
A veces el calibre se vuelve rebelde y no mantiene la fecha correctamente, o se queda enganchada la parte del segundero en una cifra aleatoria,
Otras veces Directamente señala los primeros 10 segundos como 1,2,3,4, en lugar de 01,02,03,04…etc
Normalmente un reseteo completo del reloj vueve las cosas a su sitio.
El spacesonic cronograph es portanto, un reloj extremadamente escaso, y existen muy pocas unidades en perfecto estado de revista.
Lo mas normal es encontrarlos estropeados o que no funcionan debidamente, por la corrosion del tiempo en los bornes de las baterias
o simplemente cajas vacias sin Modulo
Honestamente,
Nada de eso me importa demasiado,
Hace ya 36 años fui de viaje a las islas Canarias con mi familia, era 1978 y entramos en uno de esos bazares de decomisos a husmear, recuerdo que vi uno de estos relojes expuesto en el mostrador del local e inmediatamente
me enamoré de el,
le pedi a mi padre que me lo comprara, pero el se negó diciendo que era muy grande para mi pequeña muñeca de 10 añitos,
En su lugar Salí del local como el afortunado poseedor de un walkman de Sony nuevecito y recien presentado, pero no me fui contento..
Moraleja, de vez en cuando dadle el capricho que quieran a vuestros hijos u os lo estaran recordando toda la vida.. !
Gracias a Fredrik Furtenbach (Suecia) y a David Day (Australia)
Hoy es un gran dia porque tengo una sorpresita en mi buzón
Tada!
Finalmente despues de tantos Años tengo uno y Nos en mi muñeca de nuevo
Solo que ahora me esta algo apretado…. joder, me voy a tener que agenciar un extensor de hebilla….lol
DESPUES ESTA LA VERSION SIN CRONOGRAFO,
montando ESA9315
(ESA9315 Movement)
Y LA VERSION CON CALENDARIO PERPETUO
QUE ES MAS RARA AUN.
(fig2 a la derecha de la anterior)
1977
LCD design of the Swiss company Catena in Bulle, model Carena, 1977.
It was designed by André Le Marquand, Two variants, one has a module ESA Cal.942 711.
the other one sports the ESA Cal.9315
6 digit display of hours, minutes and seconds, and the date and month, 1/100 Stopwatch and light Functions.
Lo mas flipante de esta variante es el cristal faceteado de una sola pieza y 8 facetas
impresionante…fotos cedidas por Mario, un amigo coleccionista como yo de estas rarezas
NOTA:
las podeis encontrar en la galeria..no se que ocurre pero no puedo linkear las imagenes de mi onedrive a wordpress
como antes..por eso el blog esta parado..ya lo averiguare..
Aunque el primer modelo de spacesonic era el audacieuse digital
que es el summun de las rarezas
Prototype Dynamic Scattering LCD Spacesonic
(Photo Watchismo)
la unica unidad que yo he visto del Spacesonic chronograph plenamente funcional
pertenece al mayor coleccionista de spaceman y relojes de los 70 en general que existe en el planeta
Watchismo
Atentos al video que este tio es mi heroe
cada vez que lo veo me entra un mosqueo cosa fina, de ver todo lo que me queda para llegar a su nivel..
desde un SYNCRONAR *Nos*
pasando por multitud de Spacemans, Mondia, Hamilton, y una nube más de vintages setenteros,
y como yo nunca tuvo reloj hasta los 30
En el podeis apreciar lo basto de su coleccion y como ha conseguido el mostruo este,
vivir a costa de lo que nos gusta
video
MAS DE WATCHISMO
http://watchismo.blogspot.com/2008/1…-spaceman.html
UPDATE 26/02/2014
MAS INFORMACION en este hilo del Digital watch Forum
http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=7099
Gracias Mark por el enlace!
LAS «REEDICIONES o FAKESONICS»
Naturalmente, como todo reloj cotizado
tiene sus replicas y este no podia ser menos
Los siguientes en la galeria son los comúnmente llamados «Fakesonics», a mi entender, réplicas de poca calidad que suelen aparecer en masa en sitios de subastas
pero mas que probablemente con caja china actual y un modulo lcd común…
CONFIRMADO…se trata de un MODULO CHINO 2006
VER DESPIECE AQUI
————————————————————————————————————————-
Asi que ojo!, se han pagado verdaderas fortunas por estas replicas sin escrupulos
Su valor de coleccionismo es obviamente nulo, sin embargo tras numerosas denuncias,
y Solo desde que estas «reediciones» ya se venden y anuncian actualmente como tales y no
como el modelo real, por lo que no deberian suponer ya ningun problema para coleccionistas despistados,
Afortunadamente yo no dispongo de ninguno, Al sospechar, su distribuidor me baneo,
pero supongo que yo mismo me acabare teniendo que hacer con uno, un dia de estos
para comprobar su pobre calidad por mi mismo.
Los fakes :
aqui una reedicion FALSA del spacesonic de catena sin cronografo
Como el modelo Original se comercializó en inglaterra en su dia bajo la marca
LIMIT INTERNATIONAL
(Hirst Brothers & Co. of Great Britain),
pues ESTE tambien tiene su «reedicion»…Falsa naturalmente.
en la galeria mas imagenes para poder comparar.
http://www.digitalwatchlibrary.com/DWL/1work/catena-spacesonic/
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
THE CATENA SPACESONIC LCD
CASING: Stainless steel
MANUFACTURER : CATENA
MODEL: Spacesonic
MOVEMENT:ESA 942711
WATER RESIST: YES (5BAR)
BRACELET : [SS]
RELEASED : 1977
————————————————————
As this is a blog, and we go in reverse order,
the first spaceman that we will see, is the last.
THE FOURTH SERIES SPACEMAN WATCH
There are 4 variants of this model,
A Cronograph version, A non cronograph version, (branded either Catena or Limit International)
The perpetual calender, Also branded «CARENA», and the Audacieuse Spacesonic wich was A Short-lived Prototype
This, is the real Spaceman Spacesonic Chronograph
manufactured by Catena.
but also in the UK rebranded for Limit International. The Limit International version is identical to the Catena version of this case style with the exception of the glass legend and the case back – which has the easy aperture lip near the stailess engraving but lacks the moulded Catena logo in its centre.
LeMarquand felt Directly inspired in 77´Star Wars movie
This striking chronograph with the design of the Darth Vader helmet, and worthy of Lt. Starbuck
or the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica,
was the last spaceman model to see the light in 1977
A true «holy grail» an a real problem to find
The spacesonic Chronograph watch is extremely scarce and very rare
there are very few units in perfect working condition and none of them available
If one pops up by chance,
You usually find them damaged or not working properly,
by the age and the corrosion on the terminals of the batteries
or you just find empty cases without module,
In the gallery some examples.
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3998751F47D8540C&id=3998751F47D8540C%21820&sc=photos&v=3
The movement was normally signed by ESA 942.711 Swiss breitling
The Esa 942.711 was a shared resource between watch companies in the 70s,
So it could come signed or just generic unbranded
Other watch brands that used this modules appart from Breitling were Edox, Rado, Beltime or Certina, among others..
IN FACT
ESA didn’t put actual Operating Instructions for this modules, just the spare part list
that can be dowloaded here
And to be honest the module itself is quite temperamental,
On the esa 942.711,
to be able to enter the chronograph mode,
First you have to press the lower left button
3 times in quick succession.
To start/stop chronograph,top right button,
then press upper right and lower left to reset chronograph.
To return to time-keeping mode is pressing the lower left button 3 times in quick succession again.
Sometimes it gets grumpy and does not hold the date correctly or just gets stuck on the seconds bit at some point
or shows the first ten seconds just as 1,2,3,4, with a blank space, instread of 01,02,03,04..
Normally a full reset of the watch will get back things to normal.
But i Dont care too much,
36 years ago i went on a trip to Canary Islands, with my parents, it was 1978 and we jumped
into a tax free jewerly and appliances Store, and then i notice this watch in the counter desk exposed,
Inmediatly i felt in love with it and within seconds i was asking my dad to purchase it for me,
But he refused to buy me the watch because (he said )
it was too big for my tiny 10 year old wrist,
i walked away the shop quite upset and with a brand new just presented Sony walkman instread,
but i was not happy..
Moral, sometimes give your child what they ask for…or they will be remembering you didnt forever…!
Now Thanks to Fredrik Furtenbach (Sweden) and David Day (Australia)
Today is a great day as i got a surprise in my mailbox
Tada!
Finally after after all this years i got one of this beauties in my wrist new old stock
Now its too tight… i need to manage a clasp extension..lol
Along the cronograph version,
There was also a non cronograph version with ESA9315
AND A VERSION WITH PERPETUAL CALENDAR
THAT IS EVEN MORE RARE. (FIG 2)
(The 1977 Carena with module ESA Cal.942 711., 6 digit display of hours, minutes and seconds, and the date and month, 1/100 Stopwatch and light Functions.)
The coolest thing about this variant is the glass. It is a single piece of glass with a total of 8 facets
Awesome watch and so rare an difficult to trace…here are some shots courtesy of Mario, a fellow collector of this rarities
NOTE
YOU CAN FIND THIS PHOTOGRAPHS UPLOADED TO THE GALLERY..I DONT KNOW WHY BUT I CANT PROPER LINK MY PHOTOS OF ONE DRIVE TO WORDPRESS ANYMORE..THATS WHY THIS BLOG IS STOPPED FOR A WHILE UNTIL I FIND OUT WHATS GOING ON…SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE THANKS
Although the first Prototype model was the bold spacesonic digital
which is the summum of the oddities
The Dynamic Scattering Prototype LCD Spacesonic
(Photo Watchismo)
MORE INFO, PHOTOS, AND DISCUSSION at this thread from the Digital watch Forum
Catena Spacesonic – Liquid Crystal Spacemen
http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=7099
GREAT POST And lots of Fun…..Thanks a lot Mark for the link!
THE FAKESONICS
Naturally, like all Sought after watch, this ones
has their replicas, Forgeries and counterfeits, the so-called «Fakesonics».
Next in the gallery are, in my opinion Replicas that usually appear in mass on auction sites
but most probably with China case 2008 and a lcd common module.
* NOW CONFIRMED its a 2006 CHINESE MODULE
Photograps thanks to Dwf Forum
http://www.strikesandspares.net/
So beware!, many people has paid real fortunes for these terrible fakes
Collector’s value for this watches is obviously null,
however since these «reissues» are currently sold as such, advertised as contemporary made
and not anymore as the real thing, they pose no problem anymore for the average collector, Fortunately .
But they were sold as originals in the past , I do not have any, because once i tried to buy one to check ..but as soon as the seller noticed i was suspicious, he banned me.
In the gallery a fake reissue of the catena spacesonic without chronograph
Like the original model was marketed in England back in its day under the brand
INTERNATIONAL LIMIT (Hirst Brothers & Co. of Great Britain),
it also has its » Fake reissue»
THE REAL «LIMIT» BRANDED AGAINST THE FAKE ONE
So this are the fakes you have to be aware of :
FAKE # 1
FAKE #2
Extract from Pieter doesen «WATCH. History of the modern wrist watch.»
The Catena Spacesonic was also sold as Spaceman. Catena produced most of the Spaceman watches designed by LeMarquand.
The module is and ESA LCD chrono sold also with Longines, Rado, Wittnauer watches.
a few quartz-digital «Spacesonic» were produced until the Spaceman series came to an end in 1977. Having completed his mission, the Spaceman stepped aside for the next giant leap in timekeeping – light emitting diodes (LED) and liquid crystal displays (LCD).
1977.
The fourth series contains two LCD watches. Strap and helmet shaped case made out of dull chromium plated steel. The dial is grey or black.
One its the Chronograph Version,
The other its a Very futuristic model named ‘Spacesonic’. Also sold by Limit International
(Hirst Brothers & Co. of Great Britain).
http://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/c16.html
http://www.digitalwatchlibrary.com/DWL/1work/catena-spacesonic/
The Limit watch is a poor fake.
14 abril, 2013 en 21:23
Hello Ed, wellcome its a pleasure to have you here
Yes indeed, obviously it is
and its already stated in the post
i included those two photos of the fakes on porpouse
for others to be able to recognize them
but isnt it amazing?
The fakers did their research job well this time , because there was a genuine limit spacesonic edition back in the day and not many people knows this.
i have updated the entry with the extract from the doensen book
that features a mention to the original limit spacesonic
Also beware
there is a new batch of thailand omax «audacieuse» popping at ebay lately
this are better done than the usual suspects, except for the crown..so for everybody reading
stay away from those
15 abril, 2013 en 6:46
Many thanks for the very detailed information about this outstanding Le Marquand designed watch. Based on your review, I was able to find, verify and buy a NOS CATENA front labeled (not Carena 🙂 Spacesonic Chrono with perpetual calendar, which looks exactly as the one presented in the Pieter Doensen’s book: WATCH. History of the modern wrist watch. (or in the FIG 2 – the watch on the right – of Your above presentation)
Thanks again and if You wish, I will gladly send You some photos of the watch to be published here :).
22 julio, 2015 en 9:51
Yes Mario, please, and congratulations!.. Its a very rare watch!
22 julio, 2015 en 10:30
Thank You for Your kind words and congratulations; please send me an e-mail message where to upload some photos of the watch or at least how to send them to You.
22 julio, 2015 en 10:48
Please Sent them to my mail Mario ronniking2000@hotmail.com thanks!
22 julio, 2015 en 10:51
OK, I have sent You some photos of the watch from my phone. And will send more photos of higher quality, if You wish. Thanks.
22 julio, 2015 en 13:31
Yes please
22 julio, 2015 en 15:05
I’ve sent another 3 photos of the watch by e-mail. Please confirm that You have received them. Thanks and best regards,
23 julio, 2015 en 9:31
I have only received the last three Mario, but it’s an awesome find! Send me again the first ones and I will update the entry with them tomorrow
23 julio, 2015 en 23:25
Mario….thanks a ton! pal, i have updated both threads now, this one and the tempic thread with your fantastic MBO.. BOTH AWESOME!!! thanks thanks thanks!!
30 julio, 2015 en 21:27
I have to thank You, for all Your efforts to bring and kindly share these beautiful vintage watches and all this priceless knowledge about them, with all of us!
It is always a pleasure to exchange information and to discuss about vintage watches with a person with such a high level of expertise like You.
Best regards and many thanks,
30 julio, 2015 en 23:25
Holà, gracia per su pagina.
Me puede decir como hace el reseto del esa 942.711 ?
Muchas gracias
16 julio, 2019 en 17:07
http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=6369
16 julio, 2019 en 18:31
And here’s the manual pdf https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ABqMlLMQ6%5Ff3ryE&cid=3998751F47D8540C&id=3998751F47D8540C%2113104&parId=3998751F47D8540C%21808&o=OneUp
16 julio, 2019 en 18:33
Not the chrono, the complete module like you say:
Normally a full reset of the watch will get back things to normal.
Thanks.
16 julio, 2019 en 19:05
Super tu coleccion, que bellos relojes
4 junio, 2021 en 5:14
Gracias!
4 junio, 2021 en 5:28