A MoonSwatch glows brightly in the dark, thanks in part to Empa research. Image: Beat Geyer, Empa
A MoonSwatch glows brightly in the dark, thanks in part to Empa research. Image: Beat Geyer, Empa Empa research helps Swiss watches to glow in the dark: The luminescent material Swiss Super-LumiNova, which was refined at Empa, now adorns the hands and dials of a number of wristwatches, including the MoonSwatch collection from Swatch and Omega. Hardly any other watch has traveled as far as the Omega Speedmaster Professional, also known as the Moonwatch. NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin wore it on his wrist when he became the second man to walk on the surface of the moon on 20 July 1969. More than 50 years later, the MoonSwatch collection from Swatch and Omega makes the iconic design more affordable. Although the MoonSwatch is not approved for use in space, it does contain a piece of Empa research: Both the hands and hour markers are coated with the luminescent material Swiss Super-LumiNova. From 2013 to 2015, it was jointly improved by the Appenzell-based company RC Tritec AG, Empa and the University of Geneva as part of a project (Commission for Technology and Innovation, now Innosuisse).
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