OMEGA went extra-celestial for the debut of their latest, a landmark edition of the Swiss watchmaker’s iconic Speedmaster dubbed “Dark Side of the Moon” on Tuesday. In partnership with the Artists Council, Director’s Council, and Future Leadership Council of the Whitney Museum, OMEGA transformed Chelsea’s Cedar Lake, a building once owned by Annie Leibovitz, that now hosts Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, into an otherworldly escape. Fashionable fans like Patrick Wilson, Taylor Schilling, Jaime King, and Coco Rocha posed for pictures alongside chicsters like Wes Gordon, Jodie and Danielle Snyder, Yigal Azrouël, Nicole and Matthew Mellon, Kelly Framel and OMEGA VP of communications and PR, Jean-Pascal Perret.
The oversized event space was transformed for the cocktail party, partitioned by a triangular projection screen featuring video installations highlighting the Dark Side of the Moon’s sublime details and extraterrestrial inspirations. Low-hanging, glowing orbs lighted the shadowy room. With a quick pivot we would suddenly find ourselves face to face with illumination, ideal for comedic timed eureka moments throughout the evening. DJ Hannah Bronfman kept the crowd hyped with live entertainment as we celebrated the guest of honor. The newest addition to the Speedmaster collection boasts OMEGA’s signature chronograph design and pays homage to the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission who, in 1968, were the first to lay eyes on the dark side of the moon. A black zirconium oxide dial is offset by 18K white gold hands and housed in a corresponding zirconium oxide ceramic caseback engraved “Dark Side of the Moon.” NASA qualified the Speedmaster in 1965 for all manned space flights and the renowned style has been present at every mission since—including all six lunar landings—earning the nickname “The Moonwatch”. The brand continues to set a precedent in innovation, recently partnering with Solar Impulse, a project centered on a solar-powered airplane. Watch out for OMEGA in Rio in 2016 as the brand returns as the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games 27 years running.
JULIANNE ZIGOS
