Computer used to land Apollo on the moon shrunk to be a wristwatch

DSKY Moonwatch celebrates the computer that guided mankind to the moon.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, March 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When NASA's Apollo spacecraft launched to the moon, it had on board two briefcase-size computers that, for their day, would normally have required enough floor space to fill a couple of rooms. The compact devices were small but had enough processing power and memory to guide the astronauts from the Earth to the Moon.

Fifty-five years later, the British start-up Apollo Instruments has been able to shrink the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) even further — to the size of a wristwatch! Now, anyone can wear the display and keyboard system, affectionately referred to as the DKSY (pronounced "diss-key"), that astronauts used on the command and lunar modules.

“The DSKY Moonwatch is more than just a timepiece; wearers can interact with it just like the Apollo crews did.” Mark Clayton, CEO.

Meticulous attention to detail

Using original archival drawings from MIT & NASA, Mark and his team, which includes two former Formula 1 engineers, set about scaling down the DSKY. "We were pushing our manufacturing equipment to its limits, producing something so intricate and small,” he said.

Half a decade in the making, Apollo Instruments' DSKY Moonwatch is designed to replicate the DSKY aboard the Apollo 11 lunar module at a 4.6:1 scale, featuring identical fonts and color backlighting.

A great deal of emphasis was placed on materials quality and precision manufacturing techniques. To this end, the DSKY Moonwatch features a robust 316L stainless steel case with a military grade ceramic coating paired with an authentic Italian Nappa leather strap.

“We wanted to create a quality product that would be attractive to both discerning space watch collectors and space enthusiasts. We felt a profound responsibility to get this right."

Nouns and Verbs

Equally revolutionary to the AGC's small size was the way the Apollo astronauts interacted with it. Rather than carrying thousands of punch cards into space or relying on a sprawling bank of switches and lights, as was typical for computers of the time, MIT designed one of the first display and keyboard systems, which was then used to action routines by entering Verb and Noun codes.

To those accustomed to modern point-and-click setups, the AGC's approach can appear challenging to grasp. In essence, the Verb defines the action to be performed, and the Noun defines the data that is to be operated on.

For the DSKY Moonwatch, Verb and Noun codes also allow users to adjust the watch's time, date, alarm, stopwatch and GPS navigation functionalities, continuing the theme of an authentic DSKY experience.

Beyond the moon

The watch's open-source core code was written to be user-friendly and open up wide-ranging possibilities for programmers.
Porting the original AGC Luminary code onto the DSKY Moonwatch is just one of the ways Mark envisions people interacting with the watch. "You can upload your own custom code onto it," he said. "The possibilities are limited only by the user's imagination."

The Apollo Guidance Computer and DSKY were groundbreaking developments in both space exploration and computing; without them, the moon landings wouldn't have been possible. For Mark and his team, the goal with the DSKY Moonwatch was to create a "jewel of miniaturization": a replica you could wear on your wrist that captures the spirit and experience of the Apollo missions.

What the World is Saying About DSKY

"DSKY Moonwatch brings mini-Apollo space computer to people's wrists." – Dezeen

"In a crowded watch sector, this watch stands out." – IMBOLDN

“Apollo Instruments is still a newcomer to the world of space watches – but with the DSKY Moonwatch, the British brand has immediately presented an impressive launch. The focus on attention to detail and exciting functionality clearly distinguishes them from the masses and offers space enthusiasts and technical fans a product that combines nostalgia and the future.” – WatchTime

The DSKY Moonwatch is available for pre-order now at apollo-instruments.com

Mark Clayton
Apollo Instruments Ltd
contact@apollo-instruments.com
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Unveiling the DSKY Moonwatch: A Unique Timepiece with True Lunar Legacy!