Most wearable tech for kids treats coding like a bonus feature buried in a menu. You get a step counter, a few preset faces, and maybe a drag-and-drop tutorial that feels like an afterthought. CircuitMess went the other way with the NASA Artemis Watch 2.0. It’s a $129 smartwatch that ships ready to wear and gives you full control over everything running on it. The firmware is open-source, the coding tools cover three skill levels, and it’s getting a wave of attention now that NASA has sent astronauts back toward the Moon.
Price: $129
Where to Buy: Amazon (DIY), CircuitMess
NASA’s Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026. Four astronauts are aboard: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen. It’s the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972, and they’re on a flyby that’s already taking them farther from Earth than anyone since the Apollo 13 crew in 1970. The watch has been on sale since late 2025, but the Artemis II mission gave it a second life in the spotlight.
A NASA coding watch getting attention while real astronauts circle the Moon is the kind of moment marketing can’t manufacture. Kids following the Artemis coverage can strap this on and start writing code the same afternoon. The company has shipped over 100,000 STEM kits worldwide, and this one puts that experience on your wrist.
So the real question is: can a $129 watch actually teach coding, or is the NASA name doing all the work? The answer sits inside the hardware and the three coding tools packed into it.
What changed in the Artemis Watch 2.0
The first Artemis Watch was a DIY kit. You built it from parts, learned how everything connects, and ended up with a working smartwatch after about 30 minutes. That version was great for hands-on learners, but it kept younger kids from jumping straight into coding. The 2.0 skips the build entirely.
Charge it with the USB-C cable and it’s ready to go. No tools, no assembly. CircuitMess kept the original on sale for anyone who wants the build experience, so the 2.0 isn’t a replacement. It’s a second door into the same product. The learning curve got shorter, but the depth stayed the same.
Inside, a dual-core ESP32 chip runs the show alongside a full-color LCD screen. Sensors include an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, and temperature reader. Bluetooth pairs it with iPhones and Android phones for step tracking and notifications. The product photos show colorful custom watch faces on the LCD, and the watch is sized for ages 9 and up. At 129 dollars, the hardware pulls its weight.
Code it your way
The Artemis Watch 2.0 lets you design custom watch faces, build interactive games, and write full apps that run directly on the device. Three coding paths cover different skill levels. CircuitBlocks uses a visual drag-and-drop system for total beginners. Python lets you write real scripts and work with variables. The Arduino IDE opens up full control over the hardware for experienced users. That progression, blocks to Python to Arduino, follows the same path a lot of real developers take. The watch grows with the person wearing it.
The compass, temperature sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope all feed live data into your projects, from environmental logging to motion-activated games. CircuitMess gave users a real toolkit, not a locked-down toy with a coding label.
Straps, bundles, and the math
The watch costs $129 on both the CircuitMess site and Amazon. You get the watch, a USB-C cable, a quick start guide, and a coding guide. Free shipping worldwide on orders over $96.
Four woven nylon straps come in Mars Red, Starlight, Stellar Blue, and Violet Supernova. They’re swappable. The Collector’s Bundle includes the watch plus all four straps for $149.
The Mars Exploration Bundle pairs the watch with the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover kit for $399 ($517 if bought separately, a 23% saving). The rover connects to the watch over Bluetooth, so you can send commands to it from your wrist. That bundle is built for someone who wants a longer, project-based learning experience.
At $129, you’re buying a STEM kit that happens to be a watch. It’s not here to replace your Apple Watch. It’s here to teach you how to build the next one.
Who this is for (and who should skip it)
If you want fitness tracking or notification apps like a regular smartwatch, skip this. It won’t hold your attention if you have zero interest in coding. Once the NASA novelty wears off, the watch only stays fun if you’re building things on it.
But if you want to learn, this is one of the better entry points out there. A 9-year-old can drag coding blocks on their wrist. A teenager can write Python scripts that pull live sensor data. An adult can tinker in Arduino without needing a full workbench. That range is what makes the price work.
Price: $129
Where to Buy: Amazon (DIY), CircuitMess
The Artemis II connection is a nice bonus, but the watch doesn’t need it. Take the NASA branding away and you still have a $129 wearable that teaches Python, runs the games you built, and counts your steps. CircuitMess made something that stays useful long after you stop thinking about the Moon.
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(as of April 5, 2026 19:00 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
