Forty years of space missions for the Omega Speedmaster! Each Speedmaster Professional model in the special 40th anniversary series displays on its dial at 9 o'clock one of the official patches from NASA's first manned space missions, from the August 1965 Gemini to the Skylab SL-4 mission of November 16, 1973. These colourful, richly decorated patches relate the exceptional adventure of space exploration in which the Speedmaster Professional - the only watch worn on the Moon - was greatly involved. The Speedmaster made six round-trips to the Moon: from the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong on July 21, 1969 at 02:56 GMT, to the last, Apollo 17 commander and OMEGA ambassador Gene Cernan. Today, as part of the standard equipment of the astronauts and the cosmonauts during their walks in space, the OMEGA Speedmaster - from the manned space shuttle to interplanetary flights towards Mars - is there to record significant moments in time wherever man ventures.

OMEGA was the first company to be entrusted with the official timekeeping of all disciplines at the Los Angeles Games in 1932 using chronographs and stop-watches developed by its subsidiary Lémania. Following the success of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, we are already setting our sights on the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010 and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. OMEGA's association with the Olympic Games led to well over half a century of pioneering developments in the field of sports timekeeping. OMEGA is proud of its continuing service to the world’s finest athletes and to the Olympic Movement.

The association between Omega and swimming dates back to 1932 when the brand was first entrusted with the official timekeeping of all disciplines at the Olympic Games including swimming. It is still going strong as Omega prepares for its role as Official Timekeeper at this year's FINA World Championships in Rome, the biggest aquatics event of the year. More recently, Omega led the move to bring results to the internet, launching live timing in 2000. The system allows swimming fans all over the world to call up results in real time via the internet. Omega's contributions are vital, particularly in view of the increasingly keen level of competition. For example, at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, only a hundredth of a second separated gold medallist Michael Phelps and silver medallist Milorad Cavic in the men's 100-metre butterfly. OMEGA Timing's high-speed video cameras confirmed that the results recorded by the company's electronic system had been absolutely perfect.

Team Omega, with guest helmsman Ronnie Pieper, VP of the Swiss Sailing Federation and a 5.5m world champion, smoothly dominated the first of the three fleet races. Omega ambassador Russell Coutts is the most successful America’s Cup skipper in history. The iShares Cup Sailing Series takes place at Skandia Cowes Week every year. OMEGA is proud to serve as Official Timekeeper for each of the events in the iShares Cup Sailing Series.

OMEGA is one of the few watch brands in the world with a history and tradition that can compete with that of the noble sport of golf. Founded in 1848, 12 years before the first-ever British Open took place at the Prestwick Golf Club near Glasgow, OMEGA's involvement in international golf today includes tour and tournament sponsorship as well as official timekeeping. In 2007, OMEGA became the title sponsor of the Mission Hills World Cup, the oldest and most prestigious global golf team event in the world. The long-term contract guarantees that the tournament will take place at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China through at least 2018. OMEGA's dedication to golf is also dedicated in its watchmaking: the Constellation Double Eagle Co-Axial Chronograph wristwatch, named for one of golf's rarest accomplishments, uniquely combines glamour and sport and appeals equally to luxury watch enthusiasts and fans of world-class golf.

No watch début is welcomed more enthusiastically than that of the OMEGA Seamaster connected to a 007 film.When Daniel Craig reprised his role as James Bond in the eagerly-anticipated Quantum of Solace, he was wearing an OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial Chronometer with a black dial (watch ref. 2201.50.00). Bond fans and OMEGA enthusiasts know that 007 had been wearing Seamasters featuring blue dials since 1995 so the black watch face on the Seamaster Planet Ocean in Quantum of Solace marked a subtle departure for James Bond. Quantum of Solace, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for EON Productions and directed by Marc Forster, was released internationally in November 2008 and became one of the franchise’s most successful motion pictures.

This year, celebrate the magic of Christmas with matching his and hers OMEGA watches. Whether given as a pair to a special couple, or as a single watch to complement the existing OMEGA timepiece of either partner, the choice of a gift that is unique and crafted to the highest quality standards in watchmaking is guaranteed to delight. Every pair of watches has been selected from each of the four product lines – Constellation, Seamaster, Speedmaster and De Ville – providing a plethora of choice to cater for the most refined of tastes.