Seiko is bringing back the Rotocall, a retro ‘80s watch with a unique rotating mode dial favored by several NASA astronauts who wore it to space.
The Omega Speedmaster Professional, worn by Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 lunar landing, is the most recognized watch to go to space. But the Seiko Rotocall, featuring a unique design that made it easier to switch between the watch’s various modes, could be a close second.
Seiko has resurrected and rereleased the watch used by several NASA astronauts up until 2002, including Sally Ride. The new version has a slightly updated design, but it carries forward the same basic LCD display and functionality as the original. The original version of the Seiko Rotocall debuted in 1982 for $125. The new version, available in three versions called the SMGG21 , SMGG19 , and SMGG17 starting next month, slightly outpaces inflation with a $550 price tag. If you’re interested but aren’t in a position to splurge just yet, you don’t have to worry about the watches being all snapped up by scalpers. Seiko isn’t limiting their rollout to a limited number. The new version of the Rotocall features the same knurled octagonal bezel dial with each side labeled with a unique function including the time, a mode for setting the time, a timer, counter, stopwatch, dual-time-display, and daily or single alarms. Selecting a mode simply requires that side of the dial to be in the top position. The watch runs on Seiko’s A824 Quartz movement whose accuracy is rated at ±20 seconds each month with about three years of battery life. It’s also waterproof to a depth of over 300 feet, but Seiko doesn’t specify how long it could survive the vacuum of space.
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