And Omega -
Sort of a cool story, so I'm going to let Omega tell it in their own words -
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Courtesy of Omega |
OMEGA AND THE STARMUS FESTIVAL
ANNOUNCE A NEW PARTNERSHIP
Revealing a new Speedmaster watch for the winners of the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication
19th May 2017:
At a special press conference at the Royal Society in London on Friday, the Starmus Festival announced its new partnership with the prestigious Swiss watchmaker OMEGA.
The
Starmus Festival is a combination of science, art and music, and its
goal is to help the general public understand and appreciate science.
Since 2011, it has included performances and presentations from
astronauts, cosmonauts, Nobel Prize winners and prominent figures from
science, culture, the arts and music.
OMEGA’s
own pioneering history is filled with scientific accomplishment
including the conquests of space and the ocean, as well as revolutionary
breakthroughs in magnetic watchmaking and precision.
Raynald Aeschlimann, the President and CEO of OMEGA, spoke about the new partnership by saying,
“As we know in watchmaking, it’s not always easy to communicate new
innovation or complex technology. In science, I’m sure it’s the same.
That’s why we recognise the importance of the Starmus Festival. It
embraces creativity to help the general public understand
and appreciate everything about science. OMEGA has a strong history
within science and we wanted to maintain our commitment to this
important area.”
As part
of its partnership, OMEGA is proudly supporting the Stephen Hawking
Medal for Science Communication. The Medal recognises those who promote
science through three different disciplines including Science
Writing; Films; and Music and Art.
On June 20th this
year at the Starmus Festival, the three winners will be presented with a
brand new 18K yellow gold OMEGA Speedmaster watch. On the back of the
watch, the brand has included a
unique engraving that mirrors the design of the actual medal itself.
This includes an image of the cosmonaut Alexei Leonov during the first
ever human spacewalk as well as the “Red Special” guitar of Queen’s
Brian May.
Professor
Hawking himself was at the press announcement and shared his enthusiasm
for OMEGA’s support. “I'm delighted that OMEGA is joining forces with
us this year and that these watches will be given to
the winners. I would like to thank OMEGA for this initiative and for
their sponsorship.”
Three
other important guests were present on the day, including Professor
Garik Israelian, the Founder of Starmus; Professor Claude Nicollier,
the first Swiss astronaut and close friend of OMEGA; and Professor
Edvard Moser, the renowned Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist.
Speaking
on stage, Professor Israelian, the Founder of Starmus said, “Our
principal goal is to inspire. This is the base of everything. I'm very
proud to announce the partnership with OMEGA and have them
helping us with our goals.”
Professor
Nicollier was also able to shed more light on OMEGA’s scientific past
and reveal his own unique experience with the brand. He said, “I have
huge admiration for the achievements of Stephen Hawking.
My connection to OMEGA is the value of excellence. So I'm looking
forward to Starmus IV and the involvement of OMEGA in the next chapter
of science, art and music at the highest level.”
Without
doubt, OMEGA will be following the announcement of the Medal winners
very closely and is looking forward to Starmus IV taking place this year
from June 18 – 23 in Trondheim, Norway.
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Courtesy of Omega |
About the watch
The
three winners of the Stephen Hawking medal will each receive an OMEGA
Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph. The 42 mm case and bezel
are made from 18K yellow gold and the black dial also includes
18K yellow gold hands and indexes. The watch is distinguished by its
unique caseback which includes the words “WINNER OF THE STEPHEN HAWKING
MEDAL FOR SCIENCE COMMUNICATION”, as well as a laser-engraved medallion
that follows the exact design of the medal
itself. This includes the Starmus logo and images of Alexei Leonov
during the first human spacewalk and the “Red Special” guitar of Queen’s
Brian May. The watch is presented on a black leather strap and is
driven by the famous OMEGA calibre 1861,
virtually the same hand-wound movement that powered the timepieces NASA’s astronauts wore on the Moon.
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