The Swiss luxury watch and jewelry house Omega is celebrating 100 years of watchmaking for women. Each watch design, from art nouveau and art deco jewellery watches to mid-century masterpieces, contemporary icons, and those designed to be worn in the field, is a reminder of the time in which it was released and worn.
One particular watch, the Medicus, a design from 1937 specially for nurses was easy-to-use and highly readable. It was Omega’s first wristwatch with a central seconds hand, most probably to keep track of patients’ medical requirements and dosage times. The 1970 pendant watch, designed by British watch designer Andrew Grima, showcased an emerald facetted quartz crystal curling into an 18K gold sheaf.
The Exhibition
Her Time, is an exhibition housed in London’s formidable 4 Hamilton Place. It will travel across multiple time zones, including Madrid, Milan, Shanghai, Paris and St. Petersburg, with Her Time – London open until March 29.
The exhibition showcases some exceptionally rare and perfectly preserved watches spanning art nouveau and art deco, to mid-century masterpieces. Her Time was launched in June 2022 with a glamorous gala event in the gardens of the Palacio de Liria, where collectors, the press, and guests enjoyed canapés and cocktails, whilst trying on the historic timepieces at the vintage watch bar.
Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO and Omega President, said 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. That spark! It is OMEGA’s passion for precision, innovation, and aesthetics, present in every women’s watch we have ever made.”
Fascinating Insight
Overall, Omega’s watchmaking history reveals a fascinating insight into women’s fashion statements over time – from the decorative 19th century Lepine pendant watches to the secret jewelry watches of the 1950s that allowed women to discretely view the time without anyone seeing, and the futuristic watches of the 1970s with their geometrical cases.
