FORTIS
The world's first automatic wristwatch in series production
1926

FORTIS became the world's first automatic wristwatches in series production, with the birth of the Harwood. These models are named for John Harwood, an inventor and infantryman from England who holds the patent for this watch technology and a partner of Walter Vogt, the original owner of FORTIS. The FORTIS factory has been based in Grenchen, Switzerland, since 1912.

FORTIS
The world's first automatic chronograph worn in open space
1995

Developed in cooperation with Russia's Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center, the FORTIS Cosmonaut Chronograph with the Lemania 5100 automatic movement, shown below in the Cosmonaut Set, met the 5 requirements set forth by the space agency's team of travelers and aerospace engineers.

The 602.22.11 had to: Have a reliable, independent power source Must have perfect operability in zero gravity and under intense gravitational force Must be resistant to the harsh conditions of open space Must have optimal legibility Must have an additional, extendible strap

FORTIS Since 1994, the official watch of the Russian Space Agency and, since 2001, the official watch of all astronauts and cosmonauts who blast off from Russia to the International Space Station

After endurance tests on the borderline of modern physics, Russia's Star City Training Center chose the FORTIS Official Cosmonauts Chronograph as part of their cosmonauts' gear. On October 31, 2000, the first crew of astronauts and cosmonauts was launched for their 117-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS), establishing mankind's first outpost in space. Since this flight, every crew member of every mission, including Americans, Russians, Europeans, and Japanese space travelers, have received a FORTIS Official Cosmonaut as part of their standard equipment.