In Conversation With Han So-hee, Brand Ambassador Of Omega On The Concept Boutique Launch, Her Journey And More!

OMEGA unveiled two concept boutiques-a world first in watch retailing-in Hong Kong in December 2023 and flew down ambassador and K Drama superstar Han So-hee for the official launch alongside the global CEO of OMEGA, Raynald Aeschlimann. Situated in the heart of the Queen’s Road Central shopping area, as well as the spectacular dockside K11 Musea, the new boutiques are thoughtfully designed with pure comfort and style in mind, and are new concepts in watch retailing.  Mr. Aeschlimann played the perfect host and personally took So-hee through the Queen’s Road Central store, which is distinguished by a spectacular mosaic-style façade, along with an exclusive fourth floor customer area called ‘The Suite’. This intimate space is artfully decorated with nature-inspired materials and sparkling light fixtures to reflect the beauty of Omega’s Swiss home on Lake Bienne.

At the K11 Musea, Mr. Aeschlimann and So-hee had the chance to explore the brand’s second new location – a boutique blessed with abundant natural lights and spectacular views across Victoria Harbour. Together, they presented a special opening ceremony alongside Stephen DeLucchi, the Managing Director of Swatch Group HK. A crowd of 200 had by then waited patiently for a couple of hours for a glimpse of the incredibly popular K-Drama star.

Here are the excerpts of the chat I had with the global sensation on the sidelines of the store launch.

1. What has been your most memorable moment through this year?

I think it was probably the moment when we finished filming Gyeongseong Creature because it’s a series that I’ve worked on for almost two years, especially the Season 1, which dropped on Netflix end of December. It was also the last work I shot for in my 20s, so in many ways, the last day of filming was the most emotional moment for me.

2. As a brand ambassador, what do you feel most relatable between you and OMEGA?

If I had to pick one thing, ‘challenge’ and ‘innovation’ would be the first words that come to mind, and OMEGA was the first watch on the moon, and we’ve seen a lot of that in our recent HER TIME exhibition. OMEGA has been making women’s watches practically since its inception, and it was fascinating to see how the brand has continued to innovate in technology and design in this area, including developing movements specifically for women’s watches and introducing the Medicus watch in 1937 for women in the medical industry, such as nurses.

I am always striving to bring new characters and never-before-seen aspects to my work, and I think this constant quest for the new and the challenge to push the envelope is where I feel most connected to OMEGA.

3. What is your most precious OMEGA moment and why?

I have fond memories of filming the My Choice campaign, which was one of my first activities as a global ambassador for OMEGA. It was a great moment to work with some of my favourite people like Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford. Seeing the My Choice campaign on OMEGA’s storefronts in Korea, Thailand and now Hong Kong brings back memories that will stay with me for a long time.

4. How does it feel to be part of OMEGA’s family of ambassadors that has had names like Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman?

All OMEGA brand ambassadors are passionate people who are always at the top of their game and never afraid to take on a challenge. I enjoy challenging and growing as a character through my work, and I am thrilled to be representing the brand alongside them.

5. Any favourite OMEGA watch?

Among OMEGA’s many collections, I love the De Ville Mini Trésor, which is both contemporary and classically beautiful. It’s a continuation of OMEGA’s heritage in women’s watchmaking, and it’s the perfect size for my thin wrist. I especially love the subtle colour of the moonshine gold and the modern design, which makes it easy to wear for important occasions as well as everyday wear.

6. How do you process choices internally?

I approach my choices with a mindset of constantly thinking about new things and challenging myself to push my limits every time. Of course, there are times when I fail and get frustrated, but I accept that as a part of who I am and just try to make the best of the time I have and keep growing one step at a time.

7. What do you like most about the OMEGA Queen’s Road Central boutique?

At the Queens Road boutique, I was able to experience OMEGA’s heritage first-hand, as well as the attention to detail throughout the boutique. The Suite on the fourth floor is a truly elegant and relaxing space, and I hope many people will visit and enjoy OMEGA’s hospitality.

One of the highlights of my visit to the Queens Road boutique was a brief watchmaking experience in a lab gown with an OMEGA expert. I was able to assemble the minute and second hands of the watch with my own hands, which was very rewarding for me as I was able to get a sense of OMEGA’s excellence and pride in their workmanship and quality. I can’t wait to visit OMEGA’s manufacturing facility in Switzerland next time!

8. Can you tell us what you’re wearing today and how you decide which OMEGA piece to complement your outfit?

Today I wore a black mini dress with shirring detail, and for this special occasion, I paired it with my OMEGA’s Constellation Small Seconds watch, which is not only elegant with its gorgeous diamond embellishments and Sedna gold, but also comes in my favourite shade of burgundy. I think it looks even better with my brown hair colour.

9. How do you see the artistry of watchmaking paralleling the art of acting, in terms of attention to detail and dedication to perfection?

I think there are a lot of similarities between acting and watchmaking, even though at first glance they seem to be two completely different fields. There’s a lot of really intricate and intense work that goes on both on and off the camera that’s not directly visible to the viewer, just like the intricate movements that go on behind the scenes inside a watch for precision. Both acting and watchmaking are very similar where you are constantly thinking about the smallest details and trying to find the centre of gravity so that it looks perfect, natural and stable to the viewer.>