Moving with the times

The lucky number eight is a theme for this year's Olympic Games so it comes as no surprise that the grand opening ceremony in Beijing will burst into life at exactly eight seconds past 8.08pm on August 8.

The split-second timing, both for the ceremony and for the sporting events during the games, will once again be handled by Omega, which has been the official timekeeper for the games since 1932.

"We're a brand with many triumphs, and people want to be part of that admirable heritage," says Suangsan Chotithamaporn, vice president of Omega, Swatch Group Trading (Thailand). "I think it's great. Without challenges, how can we move forward?"

The Malaysian born Suangsan has been living in Thailand for more than 17 years and is obviously proud of Omega's traditions. Added to these recently was a line of leather goods, to be followed soon by a perfume.

"The Omega brand is very diverse, with the leather goods being inspired by our watches. For example, the vivid orange takes its cue from Omega's Planet Ocean range of watches," she says.

The new fine-leather collection, which is available at Omega boutiques, comes in black, brown, and that eye-catching orange. It's been developed exclusively for Omega using soft, flexible Italian calfskin leather and features a wallet, filofax, bag, and watch-storage box.

The attention to detail in each handmade piece is reflected in smooth edges, the result of "double-edge folding", explains Suangsan, a complicated technique that ensures a uniform thickness.

The wallets in the collection incorporate an innovative design feature, a convenient slot - now an Omega-registered design - handy for something like a Skytrain ticket.

"I think people really do appreciate the finest things in life - the quality, the aesthetic design and ideas that designers put into luxury goods. These pieces are contemporary, simple and minimalist, but also timeless. They don't pay lip service to fashion," says Suangsan, a veteran of the fashion world who's also worked for Louis Vuitton.

Suangsan's personal favourite is the Messenger Bag, a simple, sleek tote with ample storage capacity to transport personal belongings in style. "I like something very solid. I travel a lot and it easily takes my laptop. I love the feel of the leather, and it has many compartments inside so that I can separate my documents," she says.

"I really enjoy life in Thailand, because I love outdoor activities like cycling, horse riding and diving. So I'm fully charged by the time I get back to work.

"At the moment, Omega is focusing on more masculine lines in its timepiece collections, but they're still trendy because the ladies like man-size watches too."

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation