At Watches and Wonders 2026 in Geneva, we had the privilege of meeting the NASA Astronaut Andrew Feustel, a moment that, for us, felt both extraordinary and deeply human. Sitting across from someone who has lived and worked in space carries a quiet intensity, a sense that the conversation is about to move beyond the ordinary.
What began around watches soon unfolded into something far more deep. As Feustel spoke about life in orbit, where the rhythm of day and night dissolves into a sequence of sixteen sunrises, time emerged not as a background constant, but as something to hold onto, to structure, to trust. In his words, space did not feel distant or abstract, it felt tangible, almost within reach.
And yet, what made this encounter truly memorable was how naturally that distance seemed to disappear. His perspective, shaped by experiences few will ever live, resonated in a way that felt unexpectedly familiar. It reminded us that time, whether on Earth or in orbit, is ultimately what connects all of us, shaping our days, our work,and the moments we carry with us.
For those of us who spend our lives around watches, this was a rare shift in perspective. Beyond mechanics and design, beyond precision and heritage, time revealed itself in its purest form, something essential, something lived.
So take a moment, settle in, and follow us into this conversation. A journey through space, time, and the human experience behind both is about to begin!
IWS meets NASA astronaut Andrew Feustel
IWS: Over the course of your career, you have had the opportunity to work alongside NASA and guided the International Space Station (ISS). Could tell us about your background and the lessons or experiences from those years that you carry with you even today?
Andrew: I spent 23 years with NASA, during which I had the privilege of flying three missions to space. Two of those were aboard the Space Shuttle, which operated in the United States from 1981 until its final flight in 2011. In 2018, I returned to space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket and served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS) for six and a half months, from March to October. Living and leading in such a unique and demanding environment was a truly transformative experience.
I concluded my time at NASA as Acting Chief Astronaut. Shortly after departing in 2023, I joined VAST, where I have spent the past few years contributing to the development of what is intended to become the world’s first commercial space station, designed to succeed the ISS as it reaches the end of its operational life.
Throughout my career, I have conducted nine spacewalks and had the extraordinary opportunity to work closely with international partners. These experiences have shaped two core lessons that I still carry with me today.
Andrew Feustel on a spacewalk in March 2018 | Credits: NASA
The first is learning to manage expectations, approaching each challenge with humility, without entitlement, and with a strong sense of responsibility for the work I do.
The second is the importance of treating everyone with respect and preserving dignity in every interaction. Spaceflight is the ultimate team effort, and I have learned that everyone has something valuable to contribute. Recognizing and embracing that is essential to success.
Today, in my role as Chief Astronaut at VAST, I continue to apply these principles while helping to lead the next chapter of human space exploration.
IWS: As the Lead Astronaut at Vast, you worked closely with IWC Schaffhausen’s for the new Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive. Tell us about this experience
Andrew: At VAST, I serve as Lead Astronaut, a role that involves working closely with the company and its engineering teams on the development and construction of human rated spacecraft. This means ensuring that every system is designed with the realities of human spaceflight in mind. For that reason, it’s essential to have people within the organization who have direct experience in space. In fact, I have brought in two additional astronauts to support this effort and contribute from a similar operational perspective.
VAST headquarters in Long Beach, California
This same attention to real world use naturally extends to the tools we rely on every day, including timekeeping. In space, keeping track of time is not just practical, it’s fundamental. Aboard spacecraft and the International Space Station, watches serve both a personal and an operational purpose. In low Earth orbit, we experience sixteen sunrises and sunsets every day, which means there is no natural environmental rhythm like we have on Earth. There is no intuitive sense of when it‘s day or night, or when it’s time to rest. As a result, astronauts depend on the time displayed on their wrists to structure their day, track activities, and manage workloads.
That is where my collaboration with IWC Schaffhausen on the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive becomes particularly meaningful. The watch has been designed with the realities of space operations in mind. It supports use with gloved hands, accommodates the way we interact with tools in microgravity, and is engineered to perform reliably during launch, in orbit, and during re entry.
The new IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive on the wrist of Andrew Feustel | Credits: Fratello Watches
Equally important is its physical design. Its streamlined form and the absence of protruding elements reduce the risk of damaging sensitive equipment or spacesuits, something that is critical when working in the confined and delicate environment of a spacecraft.
In many ways, this project reflects the same philosophy we apply to spacecraft design: functionality, reliability, and a deep understanding of how humans actually operate in space.
IWS: How did you replicate all the astronauts experiences/conditions for the watch?
Andrew: Replicating the conditions astronauts face in space ultimately comes down to experience. It’s something you develop over time, through direct exposure to microgravity and to the full range of operations we carry out in orbit. That hands on knowledge is essential, because it allows us to guide designers and engineers with real, practical insight.
As astronauts, one of our key responsibilities before any mission is to work closely with engineering teams, helping define which tools are needed and how they should be designed to be truly effective in an operational environment. We are not just users, we are part of the development process.
Tests on the new IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive
The same approach applied to the watch. My role was to provide continuous feedback, evaluating whether a concept would actually work in space or whether it required further refinement. Sometimes an idea is strong from the start, other times it needs to be adapted to meet the realities of working in microgravity.
In the end, it’s this constant dialogue between experience and design that makes it possible to create tools that are not only functional, but genuinely suited to life and work in space.
IWS: Vast is building Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station. How important is the material compatibility in that environment?
Andrew: Material compatibility is absolutely critical in the space environment, and it‘s something we evaluate very carefully. There has been strong collaboration between our engineering teams at VAST and those at IWC Schaffhausen to fully understand the conditions the watch will be exposed to.
Heaven-1, the world’s first commercial space station
One of the key aspects we consider is off gassing, meaning how materials behave in a vacuum. We assess whether selected materials could degrade over time, release particles, or generate debris that might interfere with equipment or operations. Even small material failures can have significant consequences in space, so these risks must be minimized from the outset.
In addition to that, the watch has been evaluated for the mechanical stresses associated with spaceflight. During launch and re entry, astronauts experience significant vibration and G loads. Any object worn on the body, including a watch, must be able to withstand those forces without compromising performance or safety.
Inside the Heaver-1, 45 m³ habitable volume
That is why both material selection and structural integrity are so important. The goal is to ensure that the watch remains fully functional throughout every phase of the mission, from lift off to orbit, and ultimately aboard Haven 1, where reliability is not just desirable, it’s essential.
IWS: As an astronaut, what is your relationship with space and time?
Andrew: That’s a though one! I think, as humans, we often struggle to truly understand our place in the universe. We live with the idea that space may be infinite, without boundaries, and trying to grasp what that really means is incredibly challenging. If there is no edge to space, how do we define where we are, or even what “existence” means within it?
We experience the world physically, we see and interact with one another, and yet when we think about the larger framework of space and time, it becomes something much harder to comprehend. The absence of boundaries, the concept of infinity, these are ideas that push beyond our everyday intuition.
What I find fascinating is that, in space, distance is often measured in terms of time. We talk about light years, about how far something is based on how long light takes to reach it. It’s a reminder that space and time are deeply interconnected, even if we do not fully understand that relationship. And of course, with today’s technology, traveling at the speed of light remains out of reach.
I would not claim to have definitive answers. I am not an astrophysicist, I am a geologist. But I think that is part of the beauty of it. Each of us approaches these questions from a different perspective, and together we keep exploring, trying to better understand the universe and our place within it.
IWS: What do watches represent to you personally, is there a specific model to which you feel particularly connected?
Andrew: Personally, I believe a watch is meant to be worn. I would wear mine every day if I could, even the more refined pieces. To me, it’s similar to owning a classic car, if you never use it, you miss the essence of what makes it special. A watch comes to life through daily use, through the moments it accompanies.
There are a few models I feel particularly connected to. I really like this one, as well as the Pilot line. I also own the IWC Top Gun Pilot, which I genuinely enjoy wearing. It’s a great watch, with features that are both functional and thoughtfully designed.
IWC Pilot TOP GUN “Mojave Desert” on Andrew’s wrist in Sydney for the 76th International Astronautical Congress | Credits: Boss Hunting
More broadly, my relationship with watches goes beyond the object itself. It’s also about what they represent, our connection to time, especially in an environment like space where time is something you actively manage rather than simply experience.
I also have a deep appreciation for IWC Schaffhausen as a brand. If you take a step back and look at what they have created here, it’s remarkable. The entire setup reflects a true operational space environment, not just an abstract idea of space, but a working concept inspired by real spacecraft.
The details matter. The walls echo the interiors we are used to, the design language feels authentic, and the focus is clearly on functionality. It’s not just about imagining space in a symbolic way, it’s about understanding how things actually work in orbit, from spacecraft design down to the mechanisms of a watch.
That level of alignment with real space operations is what makes this collaboration meaningful.
IWS: What would you say to young people who dream of becoming astronauts or pursuing a path like yours?
Andrew: It starts with something very simple: truly believing that what you want to achieve is possible. It may sound like a cliché, I used to think the same when I heard people say, “you can do anything you set your mind to.” But over time, I came to understand that there is real truth behind those words.
I did not begin my career in a conventional way. I started out as a mechanic, working in a shop. From there, I went to junior college, then to university, and earned a PhD in seismology. That path ultimately led me to join NASA.
IWC Pilot Chronograph in white ceramic for astronauts aboard Inspiration 4 in 2023. 4 watches, stories and different values: Leadership, Hope, Prosperity, Generosity.
When I look back, I see my journey as proof that where you start does not define where you can go. You can begin from very humble origins and still reach places you once thought were out of reach, even leading teams that send humans into space.
If there is one message I hope to pass on, it’s this: that initial spark, that idea or dream you carry with you, can take you much further than you imagine. Hold on to it, invest in it, and let it guide you.
Becoming an astronaut may seem like an extraordinary goal, but that is exactly why it matters. It reminds us that ambition, curiosity, and determination can open paths that once felt impossible!
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