Astronaut and OMEGA ambassador Eugene Cernan visits Hong Kong and Beijing

As Captain of the successful Apollo XVII space mission in 1972, Eugene Cernan is the last man to have ever set foot upon the surface of the moon. Now with the help of OMEGA, the former astronaut celebrates the 30th anniversary of this momentous moment in space exploration with a visit to Hong Kong and Beijing in his role as OMEGA Ambassador from July 10 to 14, 2002.

A recipient of the US Navy's Distinguished Flying Cross and holder of the USA's Distinguished Service Medal with Star, Cernan joined NASA in 1963. As captain of the Apollo XVII mission, Cernan is the last man to have set foot upon the moon in 1972. In May of 1969, Cernan orbited the moon as part of the Apollo X mission and approached within 10 miles of its surface in the lunar lander, paving the way for the Apollo XI crew to make the first manned landing on the moon two months later. Cernan was also the pilot for the Gemini IX mission in 1966, when he became only the second American to walk in space. A recipient of NASA's Distinguished Service Medal, Cernan has been inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame; on March 19 1993, (30 years after joining NASA), he was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Following his own space flights, Cernan maintained an involvement with NASA, later acting as the program manager and senior U.S. negotiator in discussions with the Soviets on Apollo-Soyuz, the joint Soviet-American space mission in 1975. He retired from the US Navy and NASA the following year and is currently president of the Cernan Energy Group. As part of his visit celebrating the 30th anniversary of the last moon landing, Cernan will meet with members of the media and tour prestigious Omega retailers in Hong Kong and Beijing. Cernan is an official Omega Ambassador and a devotee of the Omega Speedmaster Professional, the only watch to have ever been worn in space and on the surface of the Moon. On July 10, Cernan met the media at the Prince Jewellery & Watch Co in Tsimshatsui to launch the new Speedmaster Moon Watch TV Commercial with another OMEGA Ambassador Qi Qi. Speedmaster fans Cathy Chui, Samantha Teoh and Angela Hong, dressed in NASA flight suits saluted Cernan, who presented a Speedmaster Moon Watch to each of them. The design of the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional or “Moon watch” as it is commonly known, retains the same classic look of the one Cernan wore into space, with its black dial and luminous hour markers and hands. Its stainless steel bezel features a black aluminum ring which bears the tachymeter scale allowing calculation of the speed of a moving vehicle or the hourly output of a machine. Today, the Speedmaster Professional line is enhanced by a scratch-resistant crystal and transparent sapphire crystal case back, revealing the intricate movement in all its glory and bearing the inscription, “The First and Only Watch Worn on the Moon”. This exclusive timepiece is water resistant to 30 metres and is available with a stainless steel bracelet with safety clasp or black alligator leather strap with foldover clasp and will be released in the Chinese market sometime in August. Cernan's visit to Beijing will also include a special trip to the Great Wall. Captain Cernan expressed his enthusiasm for the visit, saying, “I am delighted to be returning to Hong Kong and Beijing, and would like to thank OMEGA for helping me celebrate this special anniversary in a unique way. I look forward to my visit and am very excited about seeing the Great Wall up close. I have seen it before, but only from thousands of miles up, as it is the only man-made construction visible from space.”

Source: Omega press release
July 2002