OMEGA has opened an exhibition at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai to coincide with the anniversary of the first Moon landing, combining the UAE’s astronaut programme history with the watchmaker’s own record in human spaceflight.
The exhibition covers the UAE’s two major crewed missions: Hazzaa Al Mansoori’s 2019 visit to the International Space Station under the Zayed Ambition 1 mission, and Sultan AlNeyadi’s six-month Expedition 69 stay in 2023, which remains the longest mission by an Arab astronaut. MBRSC’s lunar rover programme also features. Alongside those milestones, the show traces the Speedmaster’s role in NASA history, from Wally Schirra’s Mercury flight in 1962 to Buzz Aldrin wearing one on the lunar surface in 1969 and the watch’s use during the Apollo 13 emergency.
The partnership between OMEGA and MBRSC was formalised during AlNeyadi’s 2023 mission, when he wore OMEGA timepieces throughout his time aboard the ISS, cementing the brand’s position as the centre’s official timepiece.
H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General of MBRSC, said the first Moon landing “remains one of humanity’s greatest achievements, demonstrating what can be accomplished through ambition, collaboration and scientific innovation,” and described the exhibition as an opportunity to honour that legacy while inspiring younger Emiratis toward careers in space.
Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, said the Speedmaster’s history is “woven into the exploration of space” and described the MBRSC partnership as a way to bring that story to regional audiences.
The Speedmaster has been in continuous production since 1957. It was the first chronograph to carry its tachymeter on the bezel and the only watch NASA flight-qualified, in 1965, before the Apollo programme began. OMEGA has also launched a campaign this month spotlighting five Speedmaster references that span nearly seven decades of the model’s design and space heritage.
Rivoli Group, OMEGA’s authorised UAE retail partner, is part of the collaboration, distributing the Speedmaster collection through its boutique network.
