• Space Special
OMEGA gets “lost in space” to celebrate 60 years of the Speedmaster
On 26 April 2017, OMEGA celebrated its 60th anniversary of the iconic Speedmaster with a star-filled event in London. Themed on the universe of light and sound, celebrity George Clooney and astronaut Buzz Aldrin were the guests of honour of the event that paid homage to the Speedmaster’s inimitable legacy in space exploration. Professor Brian Cox hosted the event at London’s Tate Modern, which was transformed into giving every guest a truly sensory experience. The space was given a sleek and futuristic touch with a centrepiece of 60 important Speedmaster models from 1957 to 2017.
Raynald Aeschlimann, the President and CEO of OMEGA, greeted and welcomed the guest,” The Speedmaster is one of the most, if not the most, iconic chronographs in the world. Not only for OMEGA, but for the many men and women who have worn and trusted it. Even after 60 years, its power and charisma has not diminished. We’re so proud to have an
event of this scale and to share it with the Speedmaster’s biggest fans.”
The original Speedmaster was the first wristwatch in the world to have a tachymeter scale on the bezel. Since then, the design stood against the test of time and has been worn by astronauts, Air Force pilots, explorers, athletes, actors and a growing community of fans from across the world. The best example was the Apollo 11 in 1969, when Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface with an OMEGA Speedmaster in hand, becoming the first ever watch to be worn on the moon.
Buzz shared charismatically,”we weren’t scared. More so, we were proud to have been able to represent everyone and to have the skills and the knowledge to carry out something that was very meaningful to us as astronauts, of course, but also to so many other people.”
Standing alongside Buzz was famous actor George Clooney, who loves both the Speedmaster and space exploration, coincidentally. Since young, the Apollo missions were amongst his favourite memories. He commented, “Speedmasters were a big part of my growing up. My uncle and my father, we all had them because it was such a big part of the moon landing. And it was huge in our lives. My father gave me, as my graduation present, a Speedmaster. There’s every reason to love them because they’re elegant watches. But I also love them because of the history.”