This post is also available in: Italian
It’s a word of mouth between friends. An intimate and joyful secret, shared with complicity from one person to another until everyone knows it. And the little secret − or at least what was supposed to be one − that becomes a Punchinello secret, to quote the Commedia dell’Arte. In short, ‘a woman’s thing’, in the most literal and positive sense of the phrase. This is the essence of the My Little Secret campaign, created by Omega for the new Aqua Terra 30 mm and brought to life by six stars from the world of entertainment. Two actresses, two musicians and two models (forgive the ‘convenient’ labels) are featured on the official website. Each is paired with a series of objects and a meaningful phrase. Each woman has her own unique personality, which is best expressed by her choice of watch.
The six protagonists
To avoid any misunderstandings, let’s go in alphabetical order by name. First up is Ariana DeBose, a Broadway actress and performer who has won multiple Oscars, BAFTAs and Golden Globes. She is wearing an Aqua Terra 30 mm with a grey dial and diamond-set bezel. Then there’s Ashley Graham: a model, entrepreneur, and advocate for body diversity in the fashion industry. Ashley, who refers to herself as a ‘mogul’, is wearing a watch with a blue dial. Next is Danielle Marsh, a K-pop star, model and singer-songwriter, who has chosen a two-tone watch with a silver dial.
Next is Marisa Abela, a BAFTA winner who became universally known for her role as Amy Winehouse. On her wrist is an Aqua Terra 30 mm with a black dial. Sunday Rose Kidman Urban also joins the Omega family, following in her mother Nicole’s footsteps. She chose an Aqua Terra 30 mm with a lavender dial. Finally, there is Tems, the Grammy award-winning singer and record producer, who nonchalantly wears an all-gold Moonshine™ model.
The Aqua Terra 30 mm Collection: 12 pieces…
As can be seen from the choice of favourite specimens of each star, the collection is very broad. In fact, it is even broader than one might imagine: there are 12 variants in total, made of different materials. Five are made of steel, two are made of a combination of steel and Moonshine™ gold, one is made of a combination of steel and Sedna™ gold, three are made entirely of Moonshine™ gold and one is made entirely of Sedna™ gold. All have a 30 mm diameter case − a size never before seen in this watch family, which was first launched by the Biel-based Maison in 2002. All have an integrated three-row bracelet with a butterfly clasp and an exclusive fine adjustment system for added comfort.
The dials come in a variety of colours: lacquered white or black, both matte; lacquered and brushed soleil in shades of blue, grey, green, lavender, chocolate, linen, gold and silver; or mother-of-pearl for a more traditional look. The hour markers are applied and coated with luminescent material, as are the dagger-shaped hour and minute hands. (Many thanks to Omega’s designers! It’s unusual for “ladies'” watches to feature Super-LumiNova, as if we women had infrared vision…). A round date window stands out at 6 o’clock, surrounded by a thin, shiny metal ring. This detail harks back to the Aqua Terra Shades version released two years ago, and it makes us realise that, now as then, Omega’s designers have paid great attention to making the collection as feminine as possible.
… and two calibers
This is also true from a mechanical point of view. Indeed, the designers at the Biel-based company have developed two movements specifically for the 30 mm Aqua Terra collection. Inspired by the Master Chronometer family, they created the 8750 and 8751 calibres, which are both self-winding. Designed to fit the small-diameter case perfectly, they are essentially identical except for the oscillating weight. The former is made of heavy metal with a rhodium finish for the steel or two-tone models, while the latter is made of Sedna™ gold for the more precious ones. You can find all the technical features in the captions of the gallery above.
I would just like to remind you of the meaning of the Master Chronometer definition. According to the CEO and President of Omega, Raynald Aeschlimann, it represents “the ultimate expression of Omega’s engineering and precision”. It is a certification based on eight rigorous tests carried out over ten days by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). These tests check each calibre against the industry’s highest standards of reliability, running constancy, and magnetic resistance. Master Chronometer-certified watches thus offer chronometric performance that exceeds that guaranteed by the COSC. Put simply, the daily deviation accepted by METAS is around 0/+5 seconds (or +7, depending on the calibre), compared with -4/+6 for COSC.
The prices of the Aqua Terra 30 mm
The many references that make up the Aqua Terra 30 mm collection correspond to different prices, of course. Prices range from €7,000 for the basic steel models to €11,700 for the two-tone steel and gold Moonshine™ version and €12,500 for the steel and gold Sedna™ version. The steel model featuring diamonds on the indexes and bezel is available for €14,200, while the two-tone steel and gold Moonshine™ model, also featuring diamonds, is priced at €19,000. Finally, prices range from €34,400 for the all-gold variants to over €42,000 for the Moonshine™ gold models with diamonds. Specifically, €42,200 for the model with a soleil dial and €42,600 for the model with a mother-of-pearl dial.
In short, there is an extremely diverse range of prices to suit all budgets. Of course, the entry-level price is not affordable to everyone, but one must consider that these are technologically advanced watches. They have movements that probably represent the ultimate in performance, at least on an industrial level. This is rare for the female audience. We are in the realm of haute horology, which is elitist by definition. This is far from a secret.
