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Omega: taking her time
By Michelle Johnson | 26 August 2022 | Style
We head to Madrid to meet Omega brand ambassador and supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, as she shares her style secrets at the launch of the brand’s Her Time exhibition
Among the art galleries and exhibition spaces dotting Madrid’s Calle de Larra, supermodel and fashion designer Alessandra Ambrosio (right) is perusing icons from more than 100 years of women’s watches. From Art Deco pendant pieces to the 1980’s Constellation, and up to the minute novelties, Omega’s Her Time exhibition is a momentous and rare collection.
The travelling exhibition, which has been showcased in Shanghai, Paris and Milan, was made open to the public in June, launched by friend of Omega Alessandra and the brand’s CEO Raynald Aeschlimann with a spectacular gala evet in the gardens of the Palacio de Liria – home of the Dukes of Alba – where collectors, press and guests enjoyed canapes and cocktails while trying on historic timepieces at the vintage watch bar.
“All of these beautiful timepieces on display have in some way influenced the watch I’m wearing tonight,” Alessandra said at the event; a nod to the brand’s history of watchmaking for women. She wore a 2022 De Ville Mini Trésor with Toile de Jouy double tour strap. “They’re all linked to a promise Omega made decades ago, to make women’s watches that work as beautifully as they look.”
As well as looking back through history, the event saw Omega launch new timepieces for 2022 – including the De Ville Mini Trésors, Constellations with Aventurine dials in three colours, and a Seamaster Aqua Terra collection of sophisticated pastel dials and two sizes.
“Her Time tells a story. Every chapter has its own surprises, moods and emotions, but there is always a golden thread tying it all together,” added Raynald. “It is Omega’s passion for precision, innovation and aesthetics, present in every women’s watch we have ever made.”
Brazilian model and actress Alessandra, 41, first began working with Omega at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016, where the watchmakers were official timekeepers. Since that time, she has been the face of the Aqua Terra Ladies’ Collection, and starred in campaigns for the Omega Seamaster with Eddie Redmayne in 2017.
“The first campaign I did with Omega was for the Seamaster, so I have a special [relationship] with the watch,” she says, taking us through this year’s novelties just hours before the gala. “The new Aqua Terra models have these beautiful coloured dials, which remind me of the ocean. I would totally wear thistogoonaboatorgotothebeach,and wear with my favorite outfit – a swimsuit.”
The new pastel styling shone through in another of the brand’s novelties: the Constellation. “These are very special because of the colors,” says Alessandra. “I love the new dials and Roman numerals. There are a lot of different pastel colors to choose from. For me, thisisalittlebitmoreformal.Youcandressit up for a gala, but also for a cocktail evening or something a little bit more special. That’s how I would pair the new Constellation: it looks really nice with neutral colors, so you can let just the watch pop.”
Yet it was the most understated of the new novelties that Alessandra chose for her evening attire, the Mini Trésor with its double-length fabric straps. “It’s just so beautiful; they’re so summery,” she says. “It’s like a piece of art, with different patterns and colours. There are so many choices. I would wear with a summer dress, or casual denim or jeans and T-shirt. It’s a nice statement.”
Discovered at the age of 12, Alessandra began her modelling career in earnest at 15 when she competed in Brazil’s Elite Model Look competition. She was soon appearing in campaigns for Gucci, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta and many more, but became a household name as a Victoria’s Secret Angel (2004 to 2017). Her design work has included an eponymous 2004 swimwear line, and fashion brands Ále by Alessandra, launched in 2014, and GAL Floripa, launched in 2019.
“I grew up in a small town, so to start [in] fashion – to find a good agent or to get pictures to put in a portfolio – was very hard. Now, I think it’s much easier to enter this industry. It is more inclusive. I think it’s easier for young girls, they have more chances to start a career, to have clients and even portray [themselves] on social media, so everything has changed.
“I think fashion has opened the doors for diversity, and that includes age. With social media there are more voices for everyone – and fashion is not just for teenagers. I’ve been a model for a long time, and every job that I do, every day that I work, I get to learn more I know more about myself. It’s an evolution. It gets better every time.”
Her style, she says, is ever changing – and so her watch collection is just as impressive as her wardrobes. Does she have a favourite?
“It depends on the event, on my mood. I think that it’s important to dress the way you want. I think with the new Omega watches, there are so many different colors and they’re so versatile. There are so many ways to play and have fun. There are just so many different models for any occasion, so it’s cool to be a collector.” she says – though she admits the Speedmaster has a special place in her heart.
“Whoever loves an Omega, loves a Speedmaster. It’s a classic. That was the first one that I owned. It’s very bold but it’s casual. It’s a little bit heavier, but it’s not just a men’s watch; women can wear it too. It’s a nice statement. you don’t need anything else: I love denim jeans, a T-shirt, and my Speedmaster.”
Raynald says one of the keys to Omega’s versatility of design is the historic importance the brand has always place on its women’s collections. “We’re not getting into a new world [of women’s watches] saying, this is an opportunity or a niche. No, we’ve always been in this segment. It’s just we are talking a bit louder,” he says. “The message was very clear, for me, that we’re a universal brand. I think that’s our future, and we should continue to do that.
“We are inspired by the designs of the old days, while coming out with some new pieces,” he adds. “I think that in 30-40 years, people will still remember these coloured models, like the Aqua Terra, that have become part of our history.”
Also looking the future, Alessandra – who has a daughter Anja Louise, 14, and son Noah Phoenix, 10 – is also keen to pass her collection to her children.
“Watches are something that you have for life and pass to your kids,” she says. “I remember my parents having watches that I would always admire… If you take care, it will last for decades. My son is already looking at my collection!”