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Omega London Gala Marks 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

by Ken Kessler . Jul 13, 2019

Appropriately, Omega’s celebration in London at the iconic Television Centre in White City for the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing was truly star-studded. Omega’s crucial role in humankind’s greatest achievement was the supplying of the Speedmaster chronograph worn by the astronauts. The presence of retired NASA engineer Jim Ragan provided the 100-plus guests with a direct connection to the team of over 400,000 individuals who made the mission a success.

Among the VIP guests were models Lara Stone, Doina Ciobanu and Richard Biedul actors Riz Ahmed, Dan Stevens, Josh Whitehouse, Douglas Booth, Alfie Allen, Laurence Fox, Jack Fox, Malachi Kirby and Tom York, musician George Barnett, socialite Pixie Geldof and Professor Kevin Fong were captivated by Ragan’s account of the procedure by which NASA chose the Speedmaster. Introduced by VP of Omega, Jean-Pascal Perret, Ragan recounted the process of choosing a timepiece for space missions, which started five years before the moon landing.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Former NASA Program Manager and Aerospace Engineer Jim Ragan and VP of Communication at OMEGA Jean-Pascal Perret speak at an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Dan Stevens attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Jack Fox and Laurence Fox attend an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Malachi Kirby attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

During Ragan’s 36-year career as an aerospace engineer at NASA, he was responsible for the selecting, testing and preparing hardware for the Apollo, Skylab and ASTP Programs, and served as senior aerospace engineer and manager in support of the space shuttle programme. He told of how NASA went in search of the one watch it could rely on for all manned flight missions. After several brands submitted timepieces for the punishing tests, it was only the Omega Speedmaster which survived. This resulted in it earning the honour of ‘Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions’ in 1965, and it continued to be the chosen watch of NASA for all Gemini and Apollo missions.

Televised in 33 countries worldwide, and observed by one million spectators from beaches and highways, the Apollo 11 Saturn V was launched into Space on the 16th July, 1969, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. It landed on the lunar surface on 20 July 1969, its three astronauts Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin each officially equipped with an Omega Speedmaster.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Pixie Geldof attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Riz Ahmed attends the OMEGA 50th anniversary Moon Landing dinner at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Lara Stone attends the OMEGA 50th anniversary Moon Landing dinner at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Richard Biedul attends the OMEGA 50th anniversary Moon Landing dinner at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Lara Stone attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Josh Whitehouse attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Douglas Booth attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Doina Ciobanu attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Alfie Allen attends an OMEGA dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for OMEGA)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: attends the OMEGA 50th anniversary Moon Landing dinner at Television Centre on July 11, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Marsland/Getty Images for OMEGA)

Honouring the legendary chronograph, known affectionately as simply the ‘Moonwatch’, Omega created a space-themed event with live art choreography of astronaut actors, complex light installations and a bass-heavy, ear-busting soundtrack by DJ Dan Lywood. The guests enjoyed an immersive experience suggestive of space travel at the reception with dinner preceded by a smoke-fuelled countdown before entering the vast room where guests dined beneath a 4.5-meter suspended moon.

Check out all of our recent stories counting down to the Apollo 11’s 20th July lunar landing 50th anniversary.

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