Surrounded by universal light and sounds, OMEGA celebrated the 60th anniversary of its iconic Speedmaster watch with a star event in London - George Clooney and Buzz Aldrin became honorary guests of the evening called Lost in Space, the theme of which referred to the role of Speedmaster in space exploration.
The evening was hosted by Professor Brian Cox at London's Tate Modern Gallery, which has been refitted to deliver truly memorable experiences to guests. Direct and partly futuristic contact with the main 60 Speedmaster models released from 1957 to 2017 was provided in the room.
Reynald Ashleymann, president and chief executive officer of OMEGA, was the first to enter the stage and greeted the guests of the evening with his speech about the brand's most famous watches.
“The Speedmaster is one of the most, if not the brightest, chronograph in the world. Not only for OMEGA, but also for many men and women who wore and trusted him. Even after 60 years, his strength and charisma have not diminished. “We are very proud to host an event of this magnitude and share it with the biggest fans of Speedmaster.”
OMEGA Speedmaster has an impressive and diverse history. The original model was the first watch in the world with a tachometer scale on the panel. Since then, design has stood the test of time. The watch was worn by astronauts, air force pilots, researchers, athletes and actors, as well as a growing army of fans from around the world over time. The most famous of them was Buzz Aldrin as a member of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Stepping on the lunar surface, he made OMEGA Speedmaster the first watch on the moon.
48 years later, Buzz effectively appeared on the stage in a spacesuit and after loud applause told about his cosmic memories.
Next to Buzz was the famous actor George Clooney, who is not only a fan of Speedmaster, but also a fan of space exploration. From childhood, the missions of Apollo and OMEGA Speedmaster took places among his most cherished memories.
“My uncle and my father, we all had them Speedmasters, because they represented so much of the story of landing on the moon. And it occupied a huge part of our lives. As a graduation gift, my father gave me a Speedmaster. There is every reason to love them for being an elegant watch. But I also love them because of history, ”said George Clooney.
George admitted to Buzz that landing on the moon was of great importance to everyone, and thanked him for his courage and all that was done to him.
For over 50 years, OMEGA Speedmaster has been used as the primary tool in space. In 1965, the watch was officially tested and certified by NASA for all manned space flights. Responsible for this process, former engineer James Ragan, was also present at the event in London and told guests about Speedmaster’s reputation at NASA.
“Of all the watches we tested in 1965, the Speedmaster was the only one to pass all the tests. The rest dropped out during the very first test. Thus, they are in very good standing at NASA, and even today they are still used in space. That says a lot about watches, ”said James Ragan.
Buzz Aldrin and James Ragan appeared in Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, George Clooney in Speedmaster Moonphase, and Reynald Ashleymann in Speedmaster Moonphase in 18k gold.
Among the many VIP guests at the London event were seen: American actress Liv Tyler; British actress Gemma Arterton; British singer Ellie Goulding; French actress Clemens Posey; British actress Jolie Richardson; British singer Pixie Lott; American model Arizona Muse; British model Erin O'Connor; British model David Gandhi; British actress Laura Carmichael; British model Amber Le Bon; influential people such as Camille Charrier and Oliver Cheshire; British model Toby Huntington-Wheatley; Cook Marcus Waring; British boxer David Haye; British Olympic swimmer Adam Pity; Chinese actress Liu Shishi; Italian swimmer Filippo Magnini; Japanese actor Shohei Miura; Thai actress and model Praia Lundberg; Indonesian actor Nicholas Saputra.
Lost in Space ended with ESKA performing David Bowie's classic song “Space Oddity”. It was a wonderful way to end the evening of pure fantasy and entertainment.
