I noticed Nicole Kidman's piercing blue gaze for the first time in the summer of 2005. It was a sultry June afternoon and I had stepped into Forum Mall on Elgin Road to escape the scorching temperature outside. Two years ago, this glitzy mall transformed the quiet south Kolkata neighbourhood into a shopping destination where the upwardly mobile wanted to spend their money and even if shopping wasn't the end game, the city's younglings desired to be seen there. In today's parlance, the place would be termed Instaworthy, just that the mallrats then did not have social media to document their dates at the destination. 

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But I digress from the lady who had me bewitched. The Australian actor's calm demeanor arrested my attention from inside the mall as I spotted the giant billboard on the other side of the road. In a matter of seconds however, my gaze shifted from her peachy temples to the Omega Ladymatic resting on her slim wrist. The mother of pearl dial of the timepiece matched her porcelain skin and the diamond bezel gleamed like the glimmer of her blue peepers. How beautifully the luxurious accessory complemented her persona I thought. Actually, no, my mind didn't really process the image in this manner. I was too mesmerised, if not overwhelmed, by the look of everything in the glossy hoarding. Nicole, her slender frame and the Omega Ladymatic. Was I in a position to comprehend whether she was the most suited to represent the brand? Not till a few years later when I had read up on Omega's history of the Ladymatic, a series of self winding timepieces created especially for women, and it was then that I realised why an achiever of Nicole's stature made the cut. 

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What did I think about that day after witnessing this talented and stunning actor wear a spectacular watch? As I walked back home in the evening after taking a turn about the different shops in Forum, montages of my mother rushed into my mind. She is getting ready for work in her crisp handloom cotton saree and finishing it up with her old HMT watch. I distinctly recall the tan leather strap clasping her fair wrist as she put her Lawrence & Mayo glasses inside her bag. I kept thinking though, if my mother owned an Omega, would she actually replace her trusted HMT immediately? Something tells me she would not. Yes, she would definitely wear the Omega for special soirees but that HMT would stay. After all, it had been her beloved companion since college. The classic timepiece stuck by her as she gradually journeyed from a beginner in the banking world to becoming a manager. The HMT kept ticking without fail as this woman went out into the world carving a niche for herself in the banking sector of Kolkata. Luxury labels talk about signature looks and brand identities. For all the years that the HMT was ticking, it became a significant part of my mother's persona as a professional banker. I smiled believing that my mother could very well sign up as the brand ambassador for HMT maybe. After all, her elegant persona gelled beautifully with the simple yet classical timepiece. If you come to think of it, this is how the women of their generation wove relationships with the clothes and accessories they wore. It wasn't about how many. As my mother would put it, "Whatever little you had, it had to be the best so that you would want to flaunt it unabashedly!" Maybe that is the reason why Nicole Kidman looked so proud of the Omega Ladymatic on her wrist. The actor's love for the luxury label is evident when she says, "There are many things you can buy in life but you can’t buy time. It’s so precious. It’s important to cherish each moment and to stay in that moment. People say it goes fast, and it truly does. In everything I’ve done with Omega, they have shown extraordinary integrity, and that’s important in this day and age. Their watches are the same, and I’ve learned so much about technology and history. They’ve adapted and evolved with the times."

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I never really invested much in the thought but I believe my fascination for beautiful watches was imbibed from how my mother was collecting her timepieces over the years. Interestingly though, after that big dial HMT, she switched to timepieces from Titan, where women's watches had smaller dials. Honestly, this look did not fascinate me too much because somewhere it made me feel that popular brands were putting more importance on men's watches. Most often I found men's watches becoming conversation starters. The luxury watch segment seemed to have obviated aspirations of women from their radar. Women's watches made by Indian labels looked a certain way that failed to whet my interest in the field. I also conjured a thought in my head that my mother couldn't build a connection with her later watches like how she did with her HMT because they lacked that distinction or charisma. While this was happening, my parents gifted me my first watch. My brother got one, too, and as luck would have it I liked his watch more than mine!

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This was the tried and tested look from Titan, where they would create a big dialled watch for men and an ornate but small design for women. So the watch I got was this gold plated case around a cream dial with a black strap. My brother's watch had a big white dial with a smart silver case. We were not familiar with words like stereotype back then, but my watch screamed of falling into that genre - a stereotypical one for ladies. So, while I wore that to school and later to college, I also decided that one day I will break away from this fashion norm and invest in watches with a pronounced dial. I would complete the triangle that began with my mother's big HMT watch and Nicole's sizable Ladymatic.

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So, did I find my favourite watch yet? Let me tell you something. A few days ago, I was browsing through the websites of Rolex and Omega trying to figure which timepiece I would want to own some day when I decide to indulge myself. Does that mean that the brand I choose would be my favourite then? I doubt it. Was that HMT watch my mother's favourite? I will never know that. For that matter, of all the Ladymatics Nicole Kidman has worn, which one would she have been in love with you think! Your guess is as good as mine...

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'Favourite' is such a constricted term now, but when it comes to luxury watches it is intriguing to know what a brand might have in mind while designing watches for women. Is it just about the design to suit high aesthetics or is form, function, precision also taken into account? This is something I want to learn about. I also want to discover stories about luxury watches that haven't been told so often or have not been heard as loudly. I want to hear collector's talk about their top picks. I want to trace the growth graphs of designers. I want to pen words that will unravel the enigma behind breathtaking luxury watches and the lifestyle associated with them. God willing, some day, as I do this, I will also find a desirable timepiece that might not highlight the burnt sienna of my eyes but will definitely complement the hue of my cerulean blue silk chiffon saree.

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