While most brands lean on vintage-inspired aesthetics or manufactured patina, Fortis took a different approach with the Stratoliner S-41 Reentry Edition — they captured the raw violence of atmospheric reentry and translated it into wearable art. Each titanium dial undergoes hand-applied flame treatment, creating unique heat signatures that mirror what happens when spacecraft slam into Earth’s atmosphere at 25,000 km/h. As a result, no two examples are identical, each bearing its own cosmic fingerprint of burnt oranges, deep blues, and violet scorch marks.
Space Heritage Meets Artisan Craft
Fortis isn’t new to the space game. The Swiss manufacturer has been sending watches into orbit since the 1990s, first with Russian cosmonauts and later through partnerships with the Swedish Space Corporation. Their Stratoliner collection has become the modern evolution of this legacy, built around the space-tested Werk 17 movement that actually flew to the stratosphere for validation testing a few years back. But where previous space watches focused purely on function, the Reentry Edition adds an artistic element as well.
The titanium dial treatment process is deliberately unpredictable. Each blank gets heated by hand with an open flame, causing the metal to oxidize in patterns that can’t be replicated or controlled. Some dials emerge with concentrated bursts of color in specific quadrants, while others develop more even, mottled patterns across the surface.
Space-Tested Foundation
Beneath the pyrotechnic dial sits serious horological hardware. The 41mm recycled stainless steel case houses Fortis’s Werk 17, a Swiss-made automatic column-wheel chronograph with a 60-hour power reserve. Again, this movement has undergone actual space testing, launched to the edge of the atmosphere and back to prove its resilience. The column-wheel construction provides smoother chronograph operation than cam-actuated alternatives, while COSC-level regulation ensures accuracy worthy of actual space missions.
What’s interesting is how Fortis handled legibility against the chaotic dial backdrop. Applied hour markers are chunky and filled with blue-glowing Super-LumiNova X1, while the black metallic hands provide strong contrast against the multicolored titanium surface. The chronograph subdials at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock maintain the classic Valjoux layout, with a day-date window at 3 o’clock that doesn’t feel intrusive.
The Reentry Edition is a conversation starter, to say the least. The heat-treated dial catches light differently throughout the day, revealing new color gradations and patterns as viewing angles change. The included stainless steel Block Bracelet features solid construction with screw-pin links and Fortis’s quick-adjust slide clasp.
Spec Sheet
Model: Fortis Stratoliner S-41 Reentry Edition
Case Size: 41mm
Case Thickness: 14.5mm
Lug-to-Lug: 50.5mm
Case Material: Recycled stainless steel
Movement: Fortis Werk 17 automatic column-wheel chronograph
Dial: Hand-burned titanium with blue Super-LumiNova X1 markings
Water Resistance: 200m
Bracelet: Stainless steel Block Bracelet with quick-adjust slide clasp
Limited Edition: No (each dial is unique due to hand-treatment process)
Pricing & Availability
Not limited in edition size, the Stratoliner S-41 Reentry Edition is available now for $5,300 from Fortis’ website.
Recap
Fortis Stratoliner S-41 Reentry Edition
The Fortis Stratoliner S-41 Reentry Edition features a one-of-a-kind titanium dial that’s hand-burned with an open flame to create unique heat signatures mimicking spacecraft atmospheric reentry, all powered by the space-tested Werk 17 chronograph movement.
