U.S. astronauts Lt. General Thomas Stafford and Vance Brand, and Russian cosmonauts General Alexsei Leonov and Valery Kubasov, joined Omega in New York City in a two-day celebration of the 35th anniversary of the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission, during which the astronauts and cosmonauts wore the Omega Speedmaster Professional.

The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project flew in July, 1975 and marked a high-point for detente. It was the last Apollo mission and the first joint U.S.-Soviet mission. Engineering teams from both sides developed the docking module to link the two spacecraft, and it was there that Apollo commander Stafford (below right) and Soyuz-19 commander Leonov met and shook hands. The event was broadcast live on global television and it was captured 16mm film. The frame below became an iconic image symbolizing the dawn of a new age of superpower cooperation in space.

In New York City, Lt. General Stafford, Mr. Brand and Mr. Kubasov made a special appearance at the Omega Flagship Boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York City where they signed and donated 10 limited edition Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz “35th Anniversary” chronograph boxes to commemorate the mission’s historic anniversary. They also participated in a forum discussion, moderated by space expert Miles O’Brien, sharing their memories of their mission and the landmark “handshake in space.”

Later in the evening, Lt. General Stafford, Mr. Brand and Mr. Kubsaov joined Omega for a festive VIP dinner at the famed Russian restaurant Firebird on 46th St.

On Friday, July 16th, the astronauts and cosmonauts visited the Omega Tourbillon Boutique on Wall St. for a celebratory luncheon with Russian dignitaries and special guests, including Hon. Andrey K. Yushmanov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in NYC, Vladimir Kikilo, U.N. Bureau Chief, ITAR-TASS, and Metropolitan Opera singer Monica Yunus.

Lt. General Stafford, Mr. Brand and Mr. Kubasov then made a special appearance at the New York Stock Exchange, where they rang the day’s Closing Bell to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo-Soyuz “35th Anniversary” chronograph will be released in a limited edition of 1,975 watches to commemorate the year the mission flew. The watch features a meteorite dial and engraved case back.

The Omega Museum in Biel reopened on May 3, following several months of renovation. Originally opened in January, 1984, the museum is the oldest dedicated to a single watch brand. Located just opposite Omega’s headquarters in Biel, it features items representing the brand’s entire history, from Louis Brandt’s 160-year-old watchmaker’s bench to the Olympics, moon landings, James Bond, and beyond.

Omega president Stephen Urquhart likened the period of renovation to an archaeological dig. “Not only did we renovate the whole museum but we also restored many of the period features of this listed building. The project gave us a chance to review our entire collection. Some of the objects displayed are being presented to the public for the first time, including things which we didn’t even know were hidden in the archives.”

Displays vividly recreate Omega’s history, presenting the brand’s most important stories. Visitors can examine equipment Omega developed and used in its role as official Olympic timekeeper, dating back to 1932. The brand is also closely associated with NASA and the manned space program – Omega Speedmasters were worn on all six lunar landings. The exhibit highlighting the role of the Speedmaster in space features four watches worn on or near the moon.

One of the museum’s new sections is dedicated to prototypes – watches developed by OMEGA but, for various reasons, never introduced into commercial production.

Visitors can also view Omega timepieces owned by prominent figures in history, including the wristwatch worn by author/adventurer/spy T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), the watch worn by John F. Kennedy at his inauguration as the 35th President of the United States, and a pocket watch used by Albert Einstein, whose work is closely identified with time.

The museum is open Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. except on pubic holidays. Entrance is free of charge and guided visits are available in English, French and German. Additional information is available at the museum’s official website.

The images below may be enlarged with a click.

In a case that could have wide-ranging implications for so-called “gray-market” goods, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether manufacturers can use U.S. copyright law to prevent their foreign-made goods from appearing on web sites and store shelves at U.S. discounters such as Costco, Amazon, Target, and others.

The case began in 2004 after Costco sold 43 Omega Seamasters for $1299, then about $700 below Omega’s MSRP. Omega originally sold the watches to authorized agents located outside the U.S. The agents sold the watches to unidentified parties who sold them to a U.S.-based company that sold them to Costco.

Omega sued, claiming that Costco’s actions constituted copyright infringement. Omega claims copyright protection based on the fact that the “Omega Globe Design” logo engraved on the caseback is registered with the copyright office. Copyright law grants owners power to control the “first sale” of a protected work. After the first sale, the new owner is free to re-sell, rent, or give the item away. This “first sale doctrine” protects, for example, public libraries, and it may be used as a defense to a claim of copyright infringement, as Costco argues.

In the lawsuit, the trial judge agreed with Costco, allowing it to use the first sale doctrine as a defense, meaning Omega could not use copyright law to prevent Costco’s sales. The Supreme Court has previously ruled that copyright owners cannot use copyright law to stop the re-importation into the U.S. of goods produced here then shipped overseas for sale (so-called “round-trip” importation). The trial court believed that earlier Supreme Court ruling also applied in Omega v. Costco, though Omega involves goods manufactured outside the U.S.

On appeal, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reversed, finding that the first sale doctrine applies only to goods produced in the U.S. That ruling, if upheld, may allow copyright holders to block unauthorized importation of their goods into the United States. Costco sought review, and the U.S. Supreme Court accepted the case, apparently to settle the question of whether the first sale doctrine is limited to domestically-produced goods.

The so-called “gray market”, also referred to as parallel imports and secondary markets, frustrates brand owners seeking to control distribution and discounting practices. Gray market products are genuine goods sold by U.S. retailers outside official distribution channels. In this market, middlemen and unauthorized retailers exploit global price differences and disregard suggested retail prices. Retailers such as Costco and Amazon, and intermediary sites such as eBay, have faced a series of legal challenges in recent years by brand owners claiming that unauthorized reselling of goods infringes their distribution rights and subjects consumers to various risks from dubiously-sourced goods.

In papers filed with the Supreme Court urging the justices to accept the appeal, Costco argued that there is no basis in law for “the distinction between goods made at home and those made abroad.” Costco also argued that the 9th Circuit decision favoring Omega “gives copyright holders an unfettered right to eliminate these secondary markets.”

Omega responded saying that the ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is faithful to copyright law, which is designed to “prevent the importation, without the authority of the U.S. copyright holder, of genuine copies made and sold overseas.”

The case, Costco Wholesale Corp. v. Omega, S.A., 08-1423, will be argued this fall.

You can download the 9th Circuit decision in .pdf format by clicking here.

The Petition for Certiorari to the Supreme Court is located here.

Solar Impulse is a prototype aircraft powered by the Sun, and on a clear April day over the Swiss town of Payerne, it took its first serious test flight. Seven years in the making, the goal of the venture is to demonstrate that it is possible to fly around the world using only solar power. The top of the craft’s wings are covered with 12,000 solar cells, occupying a wingspan of 206 feet – just a few feet shorter than a 747, yet the plane weighs only about 3750 pounds.

The nearly $100 million project is headed up by Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss adventurer who completed the first non-stop around the world balloon flight in 1999. His partner is André Borschberg, an engineer and fighter pilot. On Wednesday, the Solar Impulse team took the first major step toward their goal with a test flight that lasted about 2 hours, during which they achieved an altitude of about 4000 feet. Later this year, the crew will test the plane’s ability to fly at night using lithium batteries.

Omega is one of Solar Impulse’s Main Partners and has supplied capital and technological support, including the performance simulation and testing system – an ingenious, lightweight system of landing lights and the so-called Omega Instrument which displays important parameters to assist the pilot during landing. The Omega Instrument was invented by astronaut and Swatch Group Board Member Claude Nicollier. Nicollier has played an active role in the Solar Impulse project from its earliest stages and led the flight control team in the telemetry room during Solar Impulse’s test flight.

With its marketing blitz for the 40th anniversary Moon Watch, the opening of its own boutique on New York’s fashionable Fifth Avenue, and the long-term renewal of its official Olympic timing deal, 2009 has been a big year for Swiss-watch powerhouse Omega. WatchTime recently conducted an exclusive interview with the brand’s president, Stephen Urquhart, in the New York boutique, shortly after the Olympics announcement, to discuss that and a variety of other topics of interest to watch aficionados.

WT: How and when did Omega get involved with Olympic timing?

SU: In the old days, there were several brands involved. In 1932, the IOC [International Olympic Committee] decided that Omega was a brand that could take care of the timing. Of course, it wasn’t like it is today. In the first 100-meter event, the timekeeper was standing over the course with a hand-held stopwatch. Except for a few years since then, Omega has always done it. Vancouver in 2010 will be our 24th. Omega has also participated in many of the technical developments, like the photo-finish cameras, the touch-pad and the kick-pad for swimming, a whole list of things. There’s been a long, great relationship between Omega and the IOC. And with this new arrangement, the brand is now extended as the official timekeeper and data handler until 2020.

At the Olympic timing signing ceremony: L to R Swatch Group Chairman Nicolas G. Hayek Sr., Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek Jr., IOC President Jacques Rogge, and Omega President Stephen Urquhart.

WT: After the failure of the city of Chicago to get the games, I think people might be interested in knowing what is involved as far as dealing with the International Olympic Committee. What did Omega present to them to get the nod as official timekeeper?

SU: We didn’t have to present anything. If we weren’t there, they would have to create a whole new structure. They’d need three, four, five other companies to time the games. It’s not like they could just find a new sponsor, like Burger King or something. They know our technique, they know our expertise; frankly, we’ve had a pretty faultless track record, thank God. That’s the most important factor. We just basically held discussions about the technical things on the one hand and the marketing plans on the other. We basically discussed the small print. I don’t think there was ever any doubt that Omega would continue in this role.

WT: Had you competed with any other companies in the past for this?

SU: In the past, yes. The Swatch Group took it back in 1996. Omega was doing it until 1988. As you know, Omega back then was going through a difficult period. It did the 1992 winter games but the ’92 summer games went to a Japanese brand. In 1996, it was actually the Swatch brand [that was chosen to be the timer]. Mr. Hayek felt that it was a big commitment, marketing-wise, and at that time Swatch was perhaps better positioned to take it over. Also, the games were in a U.S. market [Atlanta], where he felt he really needed to push Swatch. One of the first things that I pushed for when I took over Omega in ’99 was to get Omega back in that role, especially when we knew that the games were going to be in Beijing. Beijing is a very important market for Omega. Now we’re there until 2020 — from Beijing to Vancouver to London, Sochi, Rio, and then who knows?

WT: Since we’re looking forward to Vancouver now, what is involved in the timing of the games? What kind of preparations does Omega make?

SU: I would say there are two aspects. There’s the timing aspect and then there is the marketing and the hospitality aspect. With the timing aspect, it’s probably more complicated to time the winter games than the summer games because there are more venues. In the summer games you have sailing, which is complicated, and some other different sports. But in the winter games, the environment is tougher. You have different terrains, like in the mountains, where you have to lay cable, and you have to deal with the weather. Unlike in the summer, there is not one major stadium where most of the events are held. In Beijing, for example, we had the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube where a lot of the events took place, and where we had offices. In the winter, all that’s really set up is a bobsled run. The rest is all out in nature, all in a hostile environment. Some people say the winter Olympics are not as big as the summer ones; that’s true. But the importance of the timing is as big, if not bigger.

WT: So your timing devices have to be sturdier for the winter games?

SU: They have to be adapted for the environment, sure. I’m no expert, but I’ve seen a lot of them. I’m not sure if the devices are sturdier or maybe that some of the fiberoptic cable has to be protected when it’s minus 30 degrees. On the marketing side, we have two facilities, one in Vancouver and one in Whistler, where most of the skiing will take place. Omega has a strong presence in Vancouver; the Fairmont Hotel was commissioned as our headquarters. We’ll have all our hospitality events there and we’ll have a big shop — a shop as big as this one, in fact.

WT: You mentioned some of the timing innovations that the company’s come up with over the years. Have any of those made their way into Omega’s wristwatch designs in any way?

SU: To be honest, not really… Of course, in the old days, back in 1932, the watches they used to time the games were the same watches people wore in their waistcoats — mechanical pocket watches with stopwatch functions. Obviously, today, timing the Olympics is a different ballgame. The technology used for that obviously can’t be used in watches. However, we have incorporated some of the same production techniques — the machining and such — into the regular wristwatch line. So you could say that has been useful.

WT: Is Omega releasing any special limited-edition watches to coincide with the Vancouver games?

SU: Well, to be clear, making a limited-edition watch is not the primary reason Omega is timing the games. It’s more of a side project — nice to have, but its importance shouldn’t be exaggerated. The Chinese consumers were very enthusiastic about these limited editions during the Beijing games, so we thought it was important to release a big collection in China — probably even a little too big, in my opinion. But they sold very well because the Chinese wanted limited-edition watches. In Vancouver, we will have a watch, the piece that you’ve seen, and those people who want a commemorative item can get it. It is a pretty standard model, with a bezel in maple-leaf red, aimed very much at the Canadian market, which is very different than that of Europe or even the U.S.

Omega’s Limited Edition Seamaster for the Vancouver Games

WT: What is distinct about the Canadian watch market?

SU: I think it’s a little bit more classical, a little sportier. The price factor is important. The price level in Canada is, maybe, not as high as the east or west coast of the U.S., or of Europe. Maybe I’m wrong, but we’ll see. There will be 2,010 pieces, of course.

WT: The other big event that Omega is involved in this year is the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. How’s that doing for the brand, and what is Omega’s current involvement in the space program?

SU: We’ve been heavily involved in the space program since 1969 and even before. I’d say the last few years we’re really been pushing it a lot because that link is so important to Omega. Every year we’ve found some kind of anniversary to commemorate, like the space walk, et cetera. But this year, I’ve got to admit that it was incredible to see the enthusiasm for the 40th anniversary because it wasn’t there as much for the 30th in 1999. Maybe it has something to do with the new President, the connection of Obama to Kennedy. I don’t know, but I felt that this year we put forth a tremendous effort. We made an incredible investment; Omega had never done such a big program for the Moon Watch before. The JFK television commercial was fantastic. It seemed as though every TV station had big, long programs on the moon story. I don’t remember seeing those 10 years ago. Maybe the fact that we were in the middle of a financial crisis made this a message that the American people related to… nostalgia for a better time, some good news, not some damn broker saying that the stock market will go down.

Stephen Urquhart with Buzz Aldrin celebrating the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

WT: I saw that television commercial with the JFK footage a lot in prime time; you don’t see that much from watch companies. What made you decide to use that medium?

SU: We had a fabulous message and we had a fantastic person to deliver the message, that being JFK. The Kennedy foundation was very open to our proposal to use him and I think it’s a great, great message.

Omega’s print ad featuring JFK

WT: What’s going on with the NASA programs now, as regards Omega?

SU: We have a good rapport with them, of course. [Apollo astronauts] Gene Cernan, Tom Stafford, and Buzz Aldrin are around the world doing events. For the moment NASA is very happy, because their needs are still met with our Speedmaster. We’ve talked with them about their needs, maybe, for going to Mars, but we don’t know when that’s going to happen. Maybe they’ll need a watch that keeps time differently, because Mars has different time than Earth — a day is not 24 hours there. That would be an interesting and fun project. But I think for the moment their priority is not the watch, but how to get there. Mars is not going to be so easy.

WT: Getting to the regular Omega line, when you launched the Hour Vision line with Caliber 8500 a few years ago, you said that the intention was to move Omega into using more in-house movements. How has that plan been progressing?

SU: We’re on schedule. We’ve introduced a ladies’ caliber, an in-house movement with our co-axial escapement. Coming up in a year or two is the chronograph version. I’ve said this many times before, but I reckon that within three years — except for the Moon Watch, which will still have it’s original movement, and a few quartz models for ladies only — that Omega will be 100 percent in-house, using our own co-axial movement.

WT: And they will all be based on Caliber 8500?

SU: Yes, and the results of that movement have been incredible. The co-axial escapement that we launched 10 years ago has been getting very good results. There were some issues with it in the beginning, as you know. Originally we integrated the co-axial into an existing movement. But Omega caliber 8500 was completely built from scratch — built around the co-axial escapement as opposed to building the escapement into the movement. We’re very confident that we now have the best technicians working on it. We have about a three-year track record in the market now, and the results have surpassed all expectations.

WT: So the next in-house movement is a chronograph movement; is that a module on the 8500 or a totally new movement?

SU: It’s a completely new movement, not a module at all. So we will have ladies, men’s and chronograph, all in a couple years’ time. We already have the chrono movement, and it’s testing nicely. I even wear one when I’m at home.

WT: What other new products and developments can we expect to see from Omega next year?

SU: We have a collection that’s very categorized — four family lines, each one with its own profile. This year we did a relaunch of the Constellation line. It was completely redone, launched recently in China and now we have it here in the U.S. It’s the same watch, but it looks completely different, with a new dial design. The new Aqua Terra is a fantastic watch; that one uses the new 8500 and 8501 movement. We have the new Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquid Metal Limited Edition; a few pieces will come out this year. That will be a first for a watch brand.

Omega’s Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquid Metal Limited Edition

WT: Can you describe what “liquid metal” is?

SU: The press release will tell you better than I could. When I think of liquid metal I think of that guy in the Terminator film! We also have the De Ville with Hour Vision, the complications, all our technical pieces. Of course, we’re going to come out with new models. But we’re not selling to a restricted number of customers. We have a large customer base, both geographically and demographically.

WT: So, to get the big picture, as you speak about the worldwide appeal of the line, is there an overall plan on how to navigate the rough economic climate, specifically in the U.S.?

SU: There’s not really a plan. I think we just continually try, for the last few years anyway, to be consistent. The consumer, I think, appreciates and realizes that we are a brand of substance. We’re not the only one — but the few brands out there that are doing okay are the brands that have substance. They are consistent in their message, they don’t panic, they don’t start giving incredible discounts and incentives, or coupons in the mail. I won’t mention anybody. The problem we have is mainly at the retail level; retailers are in trouble because they’re short of cash, and they have too much stock of many brands, but not Omega. They can’t buy the same as they could before. This, you have to accept. Our own shop here, which we opened in April, is doing very well. The consumer is still there, but obviously a bit more cautious. We wouldn’t be investing in a shop like this if I didn’t believe that.

Omega has announced the launch of the Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal in a limited edition of 1948 pieces, in honor of the year the Seamaster was launched. The watch features a ceramic bezel with the numbers and scale made from Liquidmetal, an alloy created by Swatch Group researchers collaborating with Omega’s product development team.

Liquidmetal is an amorphous metal – a metallic material with a disordered, non-crystalline atomic structure. Its fusion temperature is half that of conventional titanium alloys but when it is cooled, its hardness is three times as great as that of stainless steel. Its amorphous structure allows it to bond seamlessly with the ceramic bezel.

The Liquidmetal is a bulk metallic glass alloy consisting of five elements: zirconium, titanium, copper, nickel and beryllium. A bulk metallic glass can, by virtue of its low critical cooling rate, be formed into a structure with a thickness of more than a tenth of a millimeter. Zirconium is an important constituent part both of the Liquidmetal alloy and of the ceramic material which is made of zirconium dioxide (Zr02).

Creating the bezel involves several steps. First, ceramic rings are formed. The numbers and the fine lines of the minute scaling are then engraved into the ceramic bezel rings and polished. The alloy is heated and pressed into the cavities in the ceramic material, after which any excess Liquidmetal is removed. Liquidmetal can be manipulated at a lower temperature than metals normally used in watchmaking, so the heating process does not damage the ceramic material.

The Liquidmetal numbers and scales are then satin brushed. Because the ceramic is a harder material than the alloy, the satin brushing of the fine details can be done without affecting the ceramic bezel. The final, perfectly smooth bezel is particularly resistant to scratching and corrosion because of the hardness of the two components. The ceramic dial matches the color of the bezel exactly. The watch is powered by Omega’s coaxial caliber 2500.

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Omega has signed an agreement with the IOC to be the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games through 2020. The signing ceremony and announcement took place at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. Omega’s relationship with the Olympics dates to the 1932 Los Angeles games, where they became the first company entrusted with the official timekeeping for all events.

The new agreement cements Omega’s position for the winter games in Sochi, Russia in 2014, and the games of 2016, 2018 and 2020. Omega’s current IOC contract, signed in 2001, expires with the Games of the XXX Olympiad in London in 2012. The signing ceremony for the new agreement got under way when IOC President Jacques Rogge and Nicolas G. Hayek Sr., the Chairman of the Swatch Group, rang one of the Olympic bells used to signal the beginning of a final lap in the longer sporting competitions. Mr. Rogge and Mr. Hayek were joined at the event by Nick Hayek Jr., the Group’s CEO, and Stephen Urquhart, the President of Omega.

Below, images from the press conference and signing ceremony.

Omega launches its 2009 re-design of its Constellation line, presenting the Omega Constellation Luxury Edition watch. The collection is one of the most luxurious to be released by Omega in its 161-year history. An abundance of diamonds and a unique design give the Constellation Luxury Edition its opulent appearance. The dial is decorated with a Constellation star at 6 o’clock and diamonds forming a supernova structure extending outward to the bezel and claws.

Dials come in 24, 27 and 31-mm cases. The 24 and 27-mm cases have a quartz movement with central hour-minute hands and a battery life of 32 months. The 31-mm case has a self-winding movement with central hour-minute-seconds hands and a power reserve of 50 hours. The 31-mm version also has a co-axial escapement with a silicon balance spring, a barrel with anti-wear DLC coating and a NIVACHOC (new generation of shock-absorber). The versions of the watches seen here are 18k rose gold and water-resistant to 100 m. Variations include an 18k white-gold version and diamonds on the dial, case, bezel, claws, crown and bracelet.

On June 3, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Omega CEO Stephen Urquhart celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first moon walk at the Omega flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were the first humans to set foot on the moon when they made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk on July 20, 1969. The Omega Speedmaster was the first and only watch worn on the moon. To mark the anniversary, Omega has launched the Speedmaster Apollo 11 Moonwatch, a limited edition timepiece inspired by the original watch worn on the moon.

The name makes me think of a bad guy in a James Bond film. I hear Sean Connery saying “The game is over Ploprof.” The name of course belongs to an icon of the 1970s – a dive watch created by Omega for the wrists of PLOngeurs PROFessionals, French for professional divers. To quote Omega’s press materials, it was “one of the most rugged, robust and seaworthy divers’ watches ever manufactured.” The newly reborn Ploprof 1200M maintains the original’s instantly-recognizable design while incorporating Omega’s Co-Axial technology. 1200M refers to 1200 meters or 4000 feet, the answer to “How deep can it go?”

In this image, an original Ploprof from the 1970s is on top, and the new model is below…

The crown sits behind a protective buffer. Time and date adjustments are made by unscrewing the crown to release the buffer. The hour hand can be adjusted independently for changing time zones, springing forward, and falling back. Turning the bezel requires that the owner depress the orange-anodized security pusher, located at 2 o’clock. This system locks the bezel in place during dives and prevents accidental movement of the bezel. The Ploprof has an automatic helium escape valve on the side of the case at 4.

Inside this fortress for the wrist you’ll find an automatic COSC-certified Omega Co-Axial caliber 8500 with 39 jewels and a 60 hour power reserve. The fortress itself measures 55mm in diameter and 17.5mm thick. A small family could move in. The sapphire crystal is 4.9mm thick. The Ploprof is affixed to the wrist by a metal mesh bracelet or a black or orange rubber strap. The bracelet features Omega’s double extension with diving safety clasp that allows 26mm of additional length for wearing over a wetsuit.

The Ploprof’s MSRP is $8000 on bracelet and $7800 on strap. Look for it to arrive at retailers in late June – early July.

You can click the images below to view and save huge, 4000-pixel-wide wallpaper quality Ploprof images, compliments of Omega and WatchTime.