HODINKEE Radio Cindy Crawford Shares Her Piece-Unique Omega Constellation & Memories Of Picnics In Switzerland

As far as I can tell, Cindy Crawford was the very first modern watch brand ambassador. Sure, Rolex featured famous athletes and explorers in their advertisements, and occasionally a brand would land a product placement deal with a major Hollywood blockbuster. But when Crawford signed on with Omega in 1995, not only did she start a now-25-year relationship that would see her design watches, travel the globe speaking about them, and partner with Omega on philanthropic work – she also changed the watch industry forever.swiss watch replicas

One of the early "My Choice" advertisements.

So when I had the chance to sit down and chat with Crawford a few weeks ago, I had a mountain of questions about those early days. What was it like being approached by a watch company before that was de rigueur for a person of her stature? When did she take her first trip to the Omega manufacture, and what does she remember about seeing serious watchmaking for the first time? Which design elements of the famous Constellation actually came from her? I got answers to most of those questions, but I also got quite a few stories I hadn't bargained for: Memories of picnics on Swiss mountaintops with none other than Jean-Claude Biver (who was in the midst of revolutionizing watch marketing as the head of Omega), that time she jokingly told Nicholas G. Hayek Sr. that she really wanted a platinum Constellation (and, spoiler alert, he made it for her), and a whole lot more.

Cindy Crawford working with designers at the Omega manufacture in 1996.

In addition to talking about the minutiae of watchmaking and luxury marketing, we also got into Crawford's early days working in cornfields and aspiring to be president, why the early '90s were the perfect time for the emergence of supermodels, and how she has turned her career into a platform for having a voice and making a difference. "I've always said that modeling is what I do, it's not who I am."

We hope you enjoy Episode 114 of HODINKEE Radio. Be sure to check out the show notes, and let us know what you think in the comments below. Fake Rolex Watches

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Show Notes
(19:45) Cindy's Career With Omega

(20:00) Herb Ritts

(21:00) HODINKEE Radio: Episode 25: Jean-Claude Biver And Joe Thompson (Live From HODINKEE 10)

(27:45) Omega's Constellation Watches

(34:10) Orbis International

(36:55) Cindy's Shotgun Wedding By David Yarrow

(38:30) "The Supermodels" Documentary

(43:00) Cindy Crawford Throughout the Years in Vogue

(43:30) @cindycrawford

(44:05) @kaiagerber