The legendary Buzz Aldrin

21 July 2969, man and the Omega Speedmaster landed on the Moon. Why does the conquest of space still fascinate us?

Buzz Aldrin

"What has become of you, Buzz Aldrin?" is the title of a novel by Johan Harstad that celebrates the invisibility of seconds. Harstad may not have known Buzz Aldrin well, because there was never anything invisible about him. I remember Gina Lollobrigida, some time ago, recalling an episode starring Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon, but wearing on his wrist the first Omega Speedmaster ever to have been on our satellite, earning the name Moonwatch.

Buzz Aldrin

Lollo told a significant story. The two, who were friends, entered the lobby of a large Los Angeles hotel together one evening (I could be wrong about the city, but it matters little) and the receptionist, recognising the film star, greeted her warmly. Buzz Aldrin was offended and almost furious, because the unsuspecting hotel clerk had recognised Gina Lollobrigida and not him, as he would have expected: such was the fame of the Apollo 11 crew after the lunar mission. They were heroes, living proof of America's greatness and John F. Kennedy's dream: to win the space race against the USSR.

Buzz Aldrin

Today, the study of space has moved beyond bare exploration, but the dream of touching celestial objects distant from Earth survives. When I met Aldrin at the Basel fair some 15 years ago (doing a sit-in at the Omega stand until I was introduced to him), he enthusiastically told me that he was devoting himself to his next goal: taking man to Mars. A project he is still working on today.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

The fact that Omega chooses 21 July 2022, the 53rd anniversary of the moon landing, to pay homage once again to Aldrin, excites me. He, who among other things gave his name to the amusing Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, was among the great protagonists of a world that no longer exists, whose heroes lasted more than a season. It is no coincidence that the Speedmaster's success since that 1969 has not been shaken: is that why?

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch

 

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