Abhishek Bachchan (top) at the Omega event; Siddharth Banerji (above) raises a toast at Urban Pind

After biggies like Nicole Kidman, Cindy Crawford, Michael Schumacher, Pierce Brosnan and even our homegrown Sonali Bendre endorsing Omega watches, it’s actor Abhishek Bachchan’s turn to board the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s brandwagon.

And the big announcement was made recently at the Taj Palace hotel in Delhi. After a long wait, Abhishek made a grand entry and Stephen Urquhart , president of Omega, formally introduced Bachchan junior as the new brand ambassador.

Talking about his association with the brand, Abhishek said, “It’s a great high for me to be associated with a watch company that I have admired since childhood. I look forward to a fruitful relationship with the brand.”

Urquhart said, “India is among the top five markets for the brand and we are happy to have Abhishek become a part of the Omega family. He is someone who truly reflects Omega’s value of performance and style.”

Malt madness

Getting high was the order of the evening at the lounge bar Urban Pind, in Delhi. Connoisseurs of good single malt had reason aplenty to rejoice. A whisky evening organised by Kyndal India (the company whose portfolio includes brands like Absolut Spirits, Remy Martin and Jim Beam) revved up the scene in the Capital recently

The highland single malt of the evening was the Dalmore 12 Year Old that is aged in 70 per cent American White Oak casks and 30 per cent Oloroso Sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass. The colour of the drink was a rich, deep golden mahogany. Highly acclaimed by critics and connoisseurs, the Dalmore is considered one of the top 10 single malt scotches in the States and is also said to be one of “Scotch Whisky’s best kept secrets”.

“Single malts are very exclusive. You have to develop a certain taste for them. The Dalmore 12 Year Old leaves behind a smoky and peaty flavour. A hint of Oloroso Sherry lingers in the background. The drink also demonstrates great finesse, along with fragrances of orange, marmalade and spiced notes,” said Siddharth Banerji, manager director of Kyndal India.The evening started with free 10 ml shots of Dalmore. Those who went for more were suitably rewarded with plenty of incentives. There were whisky glass sets and film tickets being handed out along with the drinks.

Photographs by Rupinder Sharma