It was a gathering of greats at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center when Omega paid tribute to the mission that made history—the first lunar landing at Cape Canaveral.

The likes of astronauts Charlie Duke and Thomas Stafford, and celebrity couple George and Amal Clooney dined beneath an impressive Saturn 5 rocket. This, after a day spent discussing topics that helped attendees look to the stars and beyond. “It’s a huge achievement to land on another world,” says Omega president and CEO Raynald Aueschlimann, clearly proud of his brand’s distinction of being the first watch worn on the moon. “I can’t think of a better reason to raise a glass in tribute.”

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Though Clooney, the actor and Omega ambassador, drew a great deal of media attention, he was determined to ensure the spotlight stayed focused on his fellow guests. “It’s a great pleasure to be here—and an honor,” he says. “I have enormous respect for the people who made the Apollo missions such a success.”

Clooeny was joined on stage by Lieutenant General Thomas Stafford and Charlie Duke. Stafford was the commander of the Apollo 10 and a veteran of four NASA space missions while Duke was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 16 and capsule communicator for Apollo 11.

Reflecting on the pioneering spirit of the Apollo era, Charlie Duke describes it as an exciting time but stresses that the success of the 1969 mission was down to hard work and commitment. “We were heading to the moon, but we were also grounded, very realistic, and we never took success for granted, not once.” Apollo 10’s Thomas Stafford talked about the “alien yet familiar” qualities of the lunar surface, and spoke proudly of his role in Apollo 11's glory. “It was a great honor for me to play my part in the successful mission that followed.”

Also in attendance were Astronaut and artist Nicole Stott, NASA pilot and ISS commander Terry Virts, ESA astronaut and NASA veteran Jean-François Clervoy, and former NASA engineer and the man behind the Moonwatch, Jim Ragan.

To mark the 50^th anniversary Omega has released a 42 mm Speedmaster in 18K Moonshine gold—an exclusive new alloy which offers a paler hue than traditional yellow gold and higher resistance to fading over time. The design is replete with lunar history as well as modern materials and a superb new movement: the Master Chronometer Calibre 3861—a manual-winding Co-Axial escapement movement with Moonshine gold plated main plate and bridges, as well as burgundy markings.