Omega Hosts Cocktail Party in Miami

A rare cold snap in Miami on Wednesday gave guests a good reason to bust out the leather and fur for a party hosted by Omega. Brand devotee Camilla Belle braved the dipping temperature in a sleeveless minidress from Andrew Gn with Nicholas Kirkwood heels. She posed on the red carpet with Omega vice president Raynald Aeschlimann who was just happy to have escaped the nor’easter that he had experienced the day before in New York.

“Good weather is the future,” said Aeschlimann, while citing Miami’s many attributes as one of the literally and figuratively hottest markets. “It’s definitely in our top 5 in sales in the U.S.”

Rather than wait for its second store to open in the city in the Miami Design District on Dec. 22, Omega focused on educating locals about its Master Co-Axial Technology in the neighborhood’s Aranda-Lasch event space. Aeschlimann said even in image conscious Miami, it’s important for clients to understand what makes these Swiss watches tick beneath the surface. The innovation that resists magnetic fields greater than 15,000 gauss will be available at the new store along with limited-edition pieces such as the Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon, the only one of its kind left in the U.S.

“This boutique will be a destination for collectors who want special details whether diamonds, color options or technology at higher prices,” said Aeschlimann, of the contrast to the merchandise carried at Aventura Mall. “Our Aventura store will probably get more traffic, but the client isn’t as informed and ready to purchase.”

The Design District boutique’s decor is based on a two-year-old prototype that’s been rolled out to about 20 stores worldwide. Its unique tall façade displays a discreet logo through lighting no matter the time of day. Sized more than 3,000 square feet spanning two floors, it’s also one of the larger stores. Aeschlimann said they’re going to need all that space to accommodate a booming market in Latin America where the company owns four stores in Brazil and has franchises in Chile, Panama and Colombia, its latest. “We’re definitely not done with Miami,” he said.