He’s one of the most dynamic leaders in the watch industry and also one of the most genuine, sincere and kind individuals I know. On 5th October of the most challenging and imperiled year human history has ever known, Aeschlimann and his team at Omega created an act of horological magic. Ostensibly, it was a Speedmaster watch meant to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Omega receiving the Silver Snoopy Award. This honour is bestowed by NASA on just a small percentage of their external suppliers for truly outstanding service. Omega, of course, received this award for helping to save the lives of the astronauts on Apollo 13. But the watch that Omega created was something more than a celebration of their history. It was, in some ways, the healing balm and uplifting act that we all need, now more than ever. It was the watch that brought smiles to the faces of collectors around the world. Why? Because in an act of incredible imagination and creativity, Omega has designed a watch with an animation of Snoopy flying through space in his command module for exactly 14 seconds — the time for the critical engine burn in Apollo 13 — that suddenly made us forget everything else and revel in pure childlike joy. You see, the Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th anniversary is not just a watch, but also a message of hope and a reminder of human resilience and courage against all odds. I had the pleasure to catch up with Aeschlimann a few days after this launch to discuss the watch and all things Omega with him.
Well, Raynald, you’ve done it. You just blew the minds of all the Omega Speedmaster lovers out there with what has to be the coolest and most uplifting Speedy of all time. Can you tell me a bit about the creative process behind the “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary?
Thank you, Wei. It is kind of you to say that. I was very clear from the start that to create this watch properly, we had to be incredibly respectful. First, we had to be very respectful to the Silver Snoopy Award because this is something that is
