Omega has awarded four unique Speedmaster watches to the winners of this year’s Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication at the 2019 Starmus V Festival in Zurich.
The winners this year included Brian Eno, for his contribution to the popularisation of science and to Todd Douglas Miller for his Apollo 11 documentary.
Additionally, Buzz Aldrin was also recognised for his passion for space as well as Elon Musk for his accomplishments in space travel and for humanity.
Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of Omega, presented the awards and commented: “It’s a great honour to be here amongst so many esteemed names in the science community. I know these winners are truly deserving of the medal and they have all shown a great commitment to human understanding and progress. Omega has its own pioneering history and future in space, so we are thrilled to join the celebrations and share in this common quest for excellence.”
The winning watch was a Speedmaster Moonwatch crafted in 18K Sedna gold.
The model is known as the ‘First Omega in in Space,’ and is based on the iconic watch that astronaut Walter Schirra wore during the Sigma 7 mission of the Mercury program in 1962.
The updated design features a brown polished ceramic bezel ring and a matt chromium nitride tachymeter scale, as well as brown PVD subdials and a central opaline silvery dial.
The watch’s caseback has the words: ‘Winner of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication’.
For the 50th anniversary year of the Apollo 11 mission, this year’s festival included a roster of science and space luminaries, including Apollo astronauts such as Omega ambassador Charlie Duke – the youngest person to walk on the moon.
Also joining the speaker roster was Nicole Stott, also an Omega ambassador and veteran astronaut who has worked on both the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle.
