In 2016 the watch company Omega launched a line of luxury sunglasses. High-end eyewear is not an area traditionally associated with Swiss watchmaking. But then as Raynald Aeschlimann, Omega’s president and CEO, announced at the time: “This is a chance to find new ways to express personal style and a passion for our brand.”
The sunglasses duly reflected Omega’s design-forward heritage in watches: the shiny black finish of the frames spoke of the brand’s Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon watch collection; their flexible hinges resembled a watch’s crown. Each pair came in a hard shell case with Zebrawood, something the eagle-eyed may have discerned was also used for the interiors of Omega boutiques.
Its new collection, again produced in Italy, comprises 11 models ranging from pilot-style sunglasses to subtle square, vintage-inspired designs. As before, there are references to Omega’s most celebrated products. The metal insets on one style recall the indexes on the brand’s Seamaster Planet Ocean watches. Another pair come in gold, a reference to 2019’s Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th anniversary watch, released in ‘Moonshine’ gold.
Omega’s new eyewear collection is versatile enough to be worn anywhere, with enough distinctive design flourishes to make you stand out from the herd. Pretty much like their watches, then.
Available from April 1. Prices start at £370, omegawatches.com
