Many of our favourite watch brands have impressive philanthropic programs that they run alongside their watchmaking activities. Even if they invest time and money to support these different causes, they often don’t talk much about them, which we find to be a real shame here at WorldTempus. So, we thought we would put together some of most impressive initiatives to show a selection of the good work that goes on behind the watchmaking scenes.
Omega and Orbis International
Last month, Omega sold 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases, containing 11 Omega X Swatch “Mission to Moonshine Gold” watches, at auction with Sotheby’s. The sale raised CHF 534,670, a sum that was donated in its entirety to the non-profit organization Orbis International. While the world’s watch community was perhaps paying more attention to these exciting collector editions – and thankfully so – what the money is being used for is a far bigger story.
Did You Know?
There are 1 billion people in the world living with vision loss, of which 90% could be treated or prevented, often with an operation that takes less than 20 minutes, and nine out of 10 of these people come from low and middle-income countries. Orbis International has spent the last four decades working on improving access to eye care in the communities that need it the most by training everyone from health workers in local clinics to eye surgeons in urban centres, so that no one has to face a life of avoidable blindness or vision loss.
The Flying Eye Hospital
In addition to working with local partners, hospitals, agencies, and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training in its Flying Eye Hospital. Once a cargo plane, this MD-10 aircraft was donated by FedEx and is now a state-of-the-art teaching facility complete with an operating room, classroom, and recovery room. The plane allows Orbis’s clinical team, along with experienced doctors and nurses who volunteer, to travel the world treating patients, sharing knowledge, and training eye care professionals.
Omega’s Contribution
Omega has been a partner of Orbis International since 2011 when it undertook the production of a documentary called “Through Their Eyes”. The film followed British actor and Omega brand ambassador Daniel Craig on his visit to the Flying Eye Hospital in Mongolia. The film was so successful in raising awareness about Orbis’s life-changing eye-care programs that a second documentary was made called “The Hospital in the Sky”, this time featuring Omega’s long-term brand ambassador Cindy Crawford, who visited the Flying Eye Hospital with her daughter in 2015.
Operation Simulator Training
In 2021, Omega continued its support with the sponsorship of a virtual Orbis Flying Eye Hospital that uses simulation training for medical staff – much like that used by pilots to learn how to fly – so they could practice procedures as many times as needed. They started with ophthalmic nurses across Mongolia to treat cataracts, the world’s leading cause of blindness, and a year later, in 2022, financed a training project aimed at female ophthalmologists and nurses from conflict-affected areas including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The Teddy Bears
In addition to financing medical training, Omega also supports Orbis by providing teddy bears to all the young patients who are treated in the Flying Eye Hospital. The nurses use the teddy bears to explain what the doctors are going to do and each patient gets to take his or her teddy home afterwards. The teddy bear has become a symbol of the partnership and is featured on a number of Omega’s watches. So, even though the 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases have been snapped up, there are still several other Orbis Editions supporting this incredible cause, including models from the Speedmaster 38mm, De Ville Trésor, and De Ville Prestige lines. So, it is not only Omega who has time to care, but watch lovers can too!
