OMEGA and VANITY FAIR to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing with Buzz Aldrin

OMEGA and VANITY FAIR to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing with Buzz Aldrin

OMEGA and VANITY FAIR will mark the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with astronaut Buzz Aldrin at a cocktail event on July 16, 2014. The evening benefits the MAK Center for Art and Architecture and will take place at the renowned Sheats-Goldstein House in Los Angeles, California.

The evening will commemorate the history of the original, and now iconic, OMEGA Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch,” which Colonel Buzz Aldrin wore on his spacesuit during his historic mission and walk on the moon when he was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11. He and Mission Commander Neil Armstrong were the first two humans to set foot on the Moon during the Apollo 11 lunar landing on July 20, 1969.

OMEGA will also celebrate the launch of the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch. Only 1,969 models of this timepiece will be produced; the number of the limited edition timepieces reflects the significant year that the first humans walked on the moon.

A highlight of the celestial-themed evening will be the display of an actual moon rock, on special loan from NASA. Telescopes will be positioned throughout the property for stargazing and will provide a panoramic view of the Los Angeles skyline.

The overall event will echo a theme of modern innovation and classic design and will include a 20’ LED video screen showcasing a video montage of archival VANITY FAIR images and historic images from OMEGA and NASA, including pictures of the moon landing. The interactive visual presentation will also highlight six historical OMEGA Speedmaster timepieces from each of those four decades.

Representing the current decade in the interactive display will be the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch. Recalling the colors of the Moon and the Apollo 11 lunar and command modules, the Limited Edition timepiece features a 42 mm completely brushed grey grade 2 titanium case with a touch of gold. The black PVD dial, with its 30-minute and 12-hour recorders and small seconds sub-dial, has been produced using a special laser, which creates the design elements on the watch’s face by removing the material surrounding the name, sub-dial numerals and hour markers.

Furthering the evening’s tribute to innovative design, the event benefits the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, which is a contemporary, experimental, multi-disciplinary center for art and architecture headquartered in architect Rudolph M. Schindler’s House and Studio in West Hollywood, California. The cocktail event will take place at the famed Sheats-Goldstein House designed by American architect John Lautner in the 1960s. The expansive and open space house blurs the lines between the interior and exterior and has been featured in numerous films.