Omega's leading ladies on their first watches

It was Omega takes Shanghai as the Swiss luxury brand chose China's biggest city to toast its rejuvenated Constellation collection of ladies' timepieces at a star-studded event.

Omega's leading ladies Liu Shishi, Alessandra Ambrosio, Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman join forces against the Shanghai skyline to welcome Omega's updated Constellation 'Manhattan' collection.

Omega first introduced its Constellation timepiece, named after the group of celestial stars in the sky, in 1952. Three decades later, the marque added its Constellation 'Manhattan': delicate with choice industrial details, the design included two double-claws placed each other on the bezel opposite at 3 and 9 o'clock. Holding the sapphire crystal and gasket in place, the quartet of claws further guaranteed that early models of the Constellation 'Manhattan' were waterresistant. The claws have since become a purely aesthetic feature, and the updated collection has grown to include 101 models in three case-sizes - 25, 28 and 29mm.

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Sun-brushed dials in gold champagne, midnight blue and chestnut brown tones are matched with a choice of 18k yellow gold, sleek stainless steel or the brand's 18k Senda gold. Other updated design features include a new bracelet option with polished mid-bar links and crowns finessed with half-moon-shaped teeth.

To celebrate the new models, the brand counted on a triumvirate of global brand ambassadors, welcomed to Shanghai by Chinese actress – and fellow Omega face - Liu Shishi and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann. All four leading ladies feature in Omega's new Constellation campaign, lensed by photographer Damon Baker.

“I think the Constellation is kind of like the Cindy watch, so I always come back to that. I’m lucky because I’ve been with Omega for over 20 years, I have accumulated a nice watch wardrobe,” Cindy Crawford told us in Shanghai. The all-American supermodel first partnered with Omega in 1995; her collaboration extended past campaigns shot by the likes of Herb Ritts as Crawford took an interest in the timekeeper's design and manufacture. “My first watch was actually a Swatch watch, the Jelly, remember that one? The clear one that you could see through, and I just thought it was so cool and it went with my Guess jeans.”

Alessandra Ambrosio, too took an early shine timepieces. “I always liked watches; since I was a kid,” the model told us. “I’ve always loved watches. I remember being a kid and having those little plastic watches. I always admired the classic ones.”

For Nicole Kidman, watches and jewellery are mostly sentimental tokens, as the award-winning actress and producer has set out to focus on essentials. “I’m not someone that just sort of wants to accumulate things. I’m actually in the process of not accumulating. I only like to have very special pieces,” says Kidman. I’ve been with the brand for a long time, I remember when I shot my first campaign for them and I thought: Oh, my gosh, these watches are exquisite.”

Matinee idols: Liu Shishi, Nicole Kidman, Omega CEO Aeschlimann and Cindy Crawford.