The alpha and the Omega of luxury

A watch so good even Buzz Aldrin brought it to the moon. That distinction belongs to the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph, which took a ride with Buzz on the Apollo 11. One does not need to amplify the precision, functionality and reliability of this particular wristwatch. We’re talking about a rocket ride to a satellite here — not just a dive into the ocean or a hike up the mountains. Just try to consider zero gravity, moon dust and light years worth of jet lag. Omega passed all the tests that that National Aeronautics Space Administration or NASA conducted and deemed as “flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions as the only wristwatch to have withstood all of the US space agency’s severe tests, including (getting) passing grades for extreme shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures ranging.” This is according to Emerson Yao, managing director of Lucerne, which is the exclusive distributor of Omega watches in the Philippines. Talk about having the right stuff. James Bond would agree, if he weren’t a work of fiction. But then you have flesh-and-blood icons and Omega ambassadors like Michael Phelps, Zhang Ziyi and George Clooney. Decades later, the Swiss luxury watch brand is still journeying to the heavens. It recently launched one of its most elegant collections in its 162-year history called the Omega Constellation Luxury Edition. The elegant series (a glittering family composed of wristwatches for ladies and men, a chrono model and an automatic model; there are also gold, white-gold and rose-gold variants; etcetera and etcetera) is featured in an ongoing exhibit on view until Jan. 15, 2011 at the Omega store at the ground floor of Greenbelt 5. What to see in the exhibition? How the Constellation watches have identical dials, but with three distinct configurations of diamonds on their bracelets and cases. How each of these watches comes in a choice of 24-mm and 27-mm case sizes fitted with the quartz caliber 1376 or a 31-mm case equipped with the Omega co-axial caliber 8421. Let it snow: Omega goes über luxurious in its redesigned Constellation collection, the phalanx of diamonds creating a snow effect. “The Constellation was redesigned in 2009,” informs Yao, adding that the Constellation watch is still the Omega Greenbelt boutique’s best-selling item. It is one of the most iconic Omega watches in the world, after all. “There were some changes in the classic Constellation. Jewelry was added to the watches — diamond embellishments in different patterns.” As to the kind of man or woman who wears Omega, Yao offers a handy description. “It still depends on the model. Generally, most of our customers are looking for a classic, established brand, but at the same time want a more contemporary style or design. Omega as a brand is always able to marry the traditional designs created 40 to 50 years ago, but every five to 10 years, it refreshes the collection to make it more relevant to present trends.”