Special appearance at the OMEGA Boutique on Fifth AvenueOMEGA and the 35th Anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Mission
The 35th anniversary of this historic handshake in space is commemorated with the release of the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz “35th Anniversary” chronograph in a limited edition of 1,975 watches, featuring a meteorite dial and engraved case back. The astronauts and cosmonauts signed and donated 10 limited edition OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz “35th Anniversary” chronograph boxes to commemorate the mission’s historic anniversary and participated in a special forum discussion, moderated by space expert Miles O’Brien, sharing their memories of their famous mission and landmark “handshake in space.”
“I am proud to be here at the OMEGA Flagship Boutique today in New York City today with my fellow astronauts and cosmonauts in celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission,” said Lt. General Stafford. “Our OMEGA Speedmaster Professional timepieces played an important role during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission and we are excited that OMEGA has commemorated this anniversary with the limited edition OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz ‘35th Anniversary’ chronograph.”
OMEGA is defined by its pioneering spirit. The brand has participated in some of the most challenging and fascinating adventures in human history, including the conquest of space, including all six lunar landings, the first divers watch in 1932, world-class sports timekeeping, including 24 Olympic games, and an airplane designed to fly around the Earth on solar power. The OMEGA Speedmaster is still the official chronograph of every NASA flight.
On July 17, 1975, Lt. General Stafford (USA) and General Leonov (USSR) met in the docking hatch which linked their respective aircrafts. On the wrists of the three astronauts and two cosmonauts involved in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission was the OMEGA Speedmaster; once docked, Commanders Stafford and Leonov emerged and used their synchronized Speedmasters to time a historic rendezvous through the open hatch of Soyuz. The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission marked the first time that spacecraft built by different nations had docked and signaled an era of cooperation in space; it also marked the end of an era as the final flight of the Apollo spacecraft.