Privateer Founders - Steve Wozniak and Alex Fielding

2024-12-13

Visit OMEGA’s Watchmaking Home

To celebrate the ongoing partnership between OMEGA and Privateer, the Swiss watchmaker has welcomed Steve Wozniak and Alex Fielding to its HQ in Bienne. The occasion was an opportunity for the two Privateer founders to discover OMEGA’s on- site manufacture and spend time with the brand it has worked alongside since 2022. Steve Wozniak is known as a Silicon Valley icon and co-founder of Apple, who has been a tech entrepreneur for more than 40 years. Alex Fielding, meanwhile, is an experienced leader and innovator, having served in leadership roles at companies like Apple and Exodus Communications, as well as co-founding Wheels of Zeus and Ripcord. Together with chief scientist, Dr. Moriba Jah, they are now focused on their latest venture, Privateer.

Privateer was launched as a commitment to the space environment, which in turn, can support sustainability on Earth. As the orbital highways above our planet become more congested, Privateer’s data infrastructure provides a real-time, open-access map of all the satellites and human-made debris surrounding Earth. Our world depends on what’s in space, and this focus on sustainability will allow operators to maneuver safely and effectively, ensuring the space economy can keep growing into the future.

OMEGA has a long and iconic history in space, going back to 1962. Its Speedmaster watches have been worn by astronauts on every Moon landing in history, while even today, the brand continues to be a part of humankind’s continuing exploration of the unknown. Therefore, it made perfect sense to partner with Privateer in 2022 and help keep the brand’s space commitment active and progressive.

During the visit, Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, said, “It’s an honour to welcome Steve and Alex to OMEGA. They have embraced innovation and sustainability to achieve their goals with Privateer, and we’re thrilled to show them how those same values are applied in our watchmaking. I’ve enjoyed showing them our own commitment to technology and how our space heritage is looking ahead to the future.”

OMEGA partners with Privateer for a safe and sustainable future in space

The makers of the first watch on the moon are at the forefront of space exploration once again, this time supporting a critical mission to track satellites and debris that pose hazards to human activity in space. OMEGA is collaborating with Privateer as they map space objects in orbit with unprecedented accuracy and transparency, a pursuit critical to keeping space safe and accessible for all humankind. Like the Apollo missions that made the Moonwatch the most famous chronograph in the world, Privateer’s mission is led by a crew of three: Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, Ripcord CEO and founder Alex Fielding, and astrodynamicist and space environmentalist Dr. Moriba Jah.

A trio of big hitters, certainly, but this is not a corporate quest for glory. These innovators and problem-solvers know that space debris is an urgent issue and concerns every individual and nation. Approximately 40,000 pieces of human-made space “junk” are currently being tracked as they orbit the Earth, but that only includes objects larger than 10cm. Hundreds of thousands of other on-orbit hazards remain unidentified, untracked and unpredictable.

As space becomes exponentially more accessible, our rapidly expanding space junk problem poses a threat to the satellites our society relies on for critical services like communication, positioning and climate monitoring. Timely, accurate data are essential to our future – not just in space, but here on Earth. This level of data collection and modelling is a monumental undertaking, and OMEGA is proud to play a role with Privateer in this bold endeavour. Together, they share an understanding that the clock on space sustainability is ticking, and it’s time to act. “We’re thrilled to partner with OMEGA for the launch of Privateer’s proprietary knowledge graph technology,” Fielding said. “OMEGA has deep roots in exploration of land, sea and space, and with their support, Privateer will be able to further humankind’s exploration and understanding of this ultimate frontier.”

Sentiments reflected by OMEGA President and CEO Mr. Raynald Aeschlimann, who said, “Our partnership with Privateer is like finding the final piece in the puzzle. With this new project, we can give back to the planet from the depths of the sea to beyond the skies. There is also a great synergy between OMEGA and Privateer. We share an obsessive attention to detail. The inside of a mechanical watch is like a mini universe. Everything needs to operate without obstructions if you want it to work perfectly and endure.” The new partnership is further proof of the Swiss brand’s willingness to seek out adventure, learn, evolve, take risks — and use its global influence for the greater good. Bringing together OMEGA’s history of space exploration and Privateer’s innovative edge, the partnership also delivers on the companies’ commitment to fostering knowledge and hope. As the world faces an uncertain environmental future across land, sea, air, and space, these pioneers aim to promote a sense of environmental stewardship. “We must all embrace stewardship as if our lives depended upon it. Because they do.” said Jah. Just as the famous Earthrise picture, taken from Apollo 8, inspired the start of the green movement, this digital map of humanity’s space footprint is sure to play an equally important role in raising awareness for our planet’s fragility.