Omega Basel 2009 Novelties Preview Bangkok

The event took place nearly a month ago but I never quite found the time to post these pics properly so here we go.

It all began with a simple phone call from Omega Thailand. They said they were bringing some of the pieces launched at Basel this year to Bangkok. Being as enthuastic about Omega as ever, I required no encouragement to say yes.

The invite arrived one week prior to the event. I was assured they did not call the wrong person.


The venue for this event was Grand Hyatt Erawan --a 5-star hotel in downtown Bangkok.


"The Residence" on the 2nd Floor of the hotel is a collection of five small rooms. Together they are cozy like a home. A perfect choice for conferences and wedding receptions with limited number of guests.


Hmmm... Let's see what the red screen says.


It has never crossed my mind that there is a "standard" red for the Omega logo.


And here's the star of today's show, by my book, of course.


The event's backdrop for photo ops


Speedmaster, Seamaster and Constellation all had their own small corner.


This poor guy looks a bit tired. I think he has been stationed in Thailand for at least five years if my memory serves.


The new Speedmaster Date in different dial variations.




Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 "40th Anniversary" Limited Edition. I wish they made only 1969 pieces of the watch to make it somewhat more collectible. There are just too many being produced as it is.


It's a shame they did not have the gray dial, split-seconds to show at that moment.

Well, how about something for the ladies?


The new variations of Constellation


With diamonds


And without


Or if the lady fancies something sportier, this smaller Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph may do just fine. I like how the three subdials are of the same size and how the date window slants in the opposite direction as the larger POC. I believe that this is the proper orientation for someone who wears the watch on the left wrist.


And this is a live shot of the Seamaster Aqua Terra GMT Chronograph.


The new Seamaster Aqua Terra watches. I believe they all house the new Cal. 8500 but I'm not su sure. My mind was actually elsewhere.


This is the deal for me.


I found it even more exciting than this speciality.


To the dinner table


Just a few steps away from the showcases


In case you are interested in what was being served


Guests took turn trying the Ploprof.




This collector was not a happy man until...


...he got to try the 40th Anniversary LE he had his heart set on.


The event had a nice vibe to it. It was not too crowded and everyone was a certifiable Omega fan.


The musicians kept the mood going from beginning to end.


Mayuree, Brand Manager for Omega Thailand, gave a brief welcome speech.


Most of the guests did not know each other. But it was easy to mingle as we shared the same passion in the brand.


This rose gold Railmaster XXL belonged to the gentleman sitting three seats to the left of me on the opposite side of the table. I swear I could read the time from where I sat. The watch is also surprisingly wearable.


My Speedmaster looked a bit pale by comparison.


My two friends came up with this idea so here goes.


I read that numbers on the bezel of the new Ploprof are luminous. But I did not realize, until that day, that everything glows "blue"!


And they did not leave anyone to go home empty handed. A couple of souvenirs to help strengthen brand loyalty.


Kudos to Omega and Swatch Group Thailand for a very well executed event. I'm sure that every guest was pleased by the opportunity to not only inspect but try on these newest additions to the Omega family.

I have more pics from another, more recent event but it's three in the morning here so I think I'd call it a day for now. Thanks for reading.

Ruckdee