Hands-on with the Starfield Watch

When it comes to gaming swag every once in a while something comes along that nearly demands a spot on your shelf. From my own collection, there were the Call of Duty night vision goggles, the Halo: Infinite Xbox One X, and the Doom Slayer’s helmet from Doom.

And now I’ve just spent $299.99 on a watch.

The million-dollar question, then: Was it worth it? Absolutely.

I can see a day in the future when I’m at a tradeshow or a convention and come across someone else with this handsome timepiece on their wrist. We’ll reminisce about our first playthrough, our favorite quests, and what ridiculous custom ships we built.

Gaming swag has evolved far beyond the cheap plastic junk you used to get in exchange for a preorder. Ultimate editions like the Starfield Constellation edition watch are exclusive pieces of gaming history and are cultural artifacts, you get me? Collecting gaming merch is simply an appreciation for the hobby in physical form.

Anyway, you probably want to hear more about the watch.

Is getting the Starfield watch worth it?

There’s always some trepidation before plunking down serious cash on an ultimate edition. If the game is no good, or the swag comes not as advertised, you can easily feel as if you’ve tossed your money into a black hole.

Had Starfield launched with Cyberpunk 2077 levels of bugs then I’d have felt like the proud owner of a brand new ten-pound paperweight. I know there must be someone, somewhere out there looking at their Calisto Protocol statue wishing they’d opted for the Dead Space remake helmet instead.

A good piece of gaming merch reminds you of your fondest memories of the game but also has its own aesthetic—and the Starfield watch has that in spades.

Let’s start by taking a closer look at the case.

This handsome case was inspired by the actual containers used by NASA. It’s made of a combination of plastic and aluminum parts and features the Constellation logo boldly imprinted on the front.

There are some gray cargo straps to give it a rugged sort of look, like something you’d see in the overhead bin of a spy plane. Those straps are bordered by two gold pieces of aluminum that make up the outer frame.

This case is heavy. Like, actually heavy. They didn’t cut any corners or spare any expense making these. You’re definitely getting your money’s worth with this as it feels like you could run this case over with a tank and barely scratch the paint.

I surprised myself the first time I opened it as it fell back on its hinges with a heavy klunk onto the wood of my dining room table. The case is a work of art that perfectly captures the world of Starfield—high-tech and sleek but also one that is lived in and practical.

But it’s the small touches that make this really special. The latch to unlock it comes with a slow-motion hinge, meaning the latch won’t simply drop straight down but descend gradually when unfastened.

The case is what’s going to look great on your shelf as the watch itself will be—or should be, at least—on your wrist.

What comes inside the Starfield Constellation Edition?

Included in the Starfield Constellation edition watch case are the watch, a charging puck, a Constellation patch, a NATO-style nylon watchband, and a card with a QR code that will help you get your watch set up.

The setup process is as smooth as the Milky Way and the companion app for the watch is a work of art in and of itself. I mean, just look at the trouble they went to with these graphics.

There are a few extra steps to getting it set up with your location and weather, your phone’s notifications, and control of your music, but it’s all easy enough to manage through the app.

Included along with the case is a classic steel book edition of the game that’ll have your download code printed on a reproduction of a Credstick: another excellent touch in a product that’s chock full of them.

What features does the Starfield watch have?

The Starfield watch comes with a lot of the standard features you’d expect to find in a smartwatch. It has a pedometer (tracks your steps), can receive notifications from your phone, tell you the weather, and even has a flashlight.

Sure, it can’t do all the fancy things an Apple Watch can but it does come with some pretty unique, if not entirely practical, extras.

These extras are all aerospace-themed. You’ll be able to track the current phase of the moon, the barometric pressure, the temperature, your acceleration, and even magnetic fields.

And there’s actually a specific reason they did this. You see, unless you’re a complete space nerd you won’t know about the unique history between space travel and timepieces.

The inspiration: The watch that went to the Moon

The Omega Speedmaster, originally designed for motorsport in 1965, was selected by NASA for the Apollo program after beating out a number of competitors. The watches were tested for heat, cold, humidity, pressure; pretty much anything and everything that could change rapidly during a mission. NASA needed a watch that could withstand the rigors of spaceflight and the Omega was it.

With some revisions, this watch was on Neil Armstrong’s wrist as he took that “one small step” onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. The watch can be seen on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.

It was Buzz Aldrin, the lunar modular pilot for the Apollo 11 mission, that made the watch famous with this iconic photo.

And there’s even a legend about Aldrin’s watch. It was meant to be shipped to the Smithsonian but mysteriously vanished in 1970, likely stolen in transit. Many have claimed to have found it but have all been proven to be hoaxes, so far. The watch is still out there, somewhere.

The Speedmaster, or Speedy, has been affectionately called “the Moonwatch” ever since it took that historic trip. But you may be wondering, what does an astronaut use a watch for, exactly?

Spaceflight is an incredibly precise operation. You do a lot of activities that are strictly timed. For instance, if a spacewalk were part of a mission, you’d want to keep track of exactly how long an astronaut was outside of the vehicle.

You can also calculate your distance traveled if you know how fast you’re going. This comes in handy in the event your instruments aren’t working properly. Just look at the tachymeter on the bezel of the watch and count the second hand’s movement to calculate. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to just how useful a watch is to an astronaut.

This is why, I believe, they opted for a watch over a statue or some other collectible. Starfield is a game about humanity, and what it one day might be like to have all that space and potential of an unexplored universe. And it’s our tools that will take us to the stars.

Tools like this watch.

How does the Starfield watch compare to a traditional smartwatch?

Funnily enough, the Starfield watch isn’t my first gaming-related watch. I do have a Samsung Frontier S3 and use a custom watch face inspired by Tom Clancy’s The Division. I even wore it to an interview I had at Ubisoft once upon a time (nobody noticed, though).

I’m a big fan of the Frontier. It’s tough, has a ton of programmable features, and you navigate menus by rotating the bezel rather than pressing buttons or the screen.

These retail around for $120 and mine’s lasted since I bought it in 2019. It’s taken a lickin’ and has kept on tickin’. It’s interesting to compare the Frontier and the Starfield watch because they’re actually at comparable price points.

When you consider the fact you get a fancy case and the deluxe edition of the game, that puts the value of the watch around that $120 mark.

Could the Starfield watch have come with programmable features? Sure, but who’s to say it won’t get those one day? It is, after all, a smartwatch. A firmware update could bring any manner of new widgets and features that hopefully Bethesda has in store.

Final thoughts: Should you take the plunge?

So, if you’re thinking about pulling the trigger on one of those pricey eBay listings, here’s some food for thought.

Play the game and see if you really like it. I enjoy Starfield for its scale and ambition but understand it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The Starfield watch can serve as your everyday watch but as I mentioned at the beginning, it’ll be most useful in connecting you to another Starfielder (is that a word?) and merch hog.

Take a good amount of time to decide but do remember—the clock is ticking.

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