Catching up with Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber at the Omega House Paris

Welcome to Paris! How are you enjoying the city during the Olympic Games?

Cindy Crawford (CC): This is my fourth Olympics. Every time you come to a city that’s hosting the Olympics, it’s exciting. Of course, both Kaia and I have spent a lot of time in Paris for fashion. So it’s a fun new take on the city seeing it through the Olympics. It’s still that city we know and love.

Kaia Gerber (KG): Getting to see the Opening Ceremony on the Seine was a once in a lifetime experience. It was so cool. And all the performers they put together for it, that was definiitely the highlight for me.

CC: I think it's great. Even the tourists that you see are different. They're Olympic tourists. It's a different crowd here. Obviously, we're hoping for a little clearing of the weather. But even with that, Paris is still a beautiful city even in the rain. 

Tell us more about that Opening Ceremony.  

KG: It was fun sharing an umbrella with my mom — and getting soaked. Of course, Celine Dion was so moving and emotional. It was just wonderful. 

CC: Yeah, I think for me, Celine was definitely a highlight of the evening. When the boats came down, we were playing a fun game of trying to guess which country would come next alphabetically.

KG: You can’t imagine how many countries start with G. 

CC: I know, we forgot about a lot of Gs. But just recognizing that each those boats is carrying so many incredible athletes that have worked so hard to be here… I was rooting for all of them, even the athletes from the countries that aren't mine.

What memories do you have of the Olympic Games growing up?

CC: My family loved the Olympics. I grew up in Illinois and we looked forward to the summer and the winter Olympics every time. We would come home and watch it as a family. We knew every medal that the US won. It was like entertainment for our family. So when I first got invited by Omega to go to my first Olympics, I couldn't believe it. Then the second one was Beijing, and I was able to bring my whole family. So this is actually Kaia’s third Olympics.

KG: I feel quite spoiled because my childhood memories of the Olympics are actually being at the physical Olympics. I was seven years old when we went to Beijing. I got to see these incredible athletes firsthand. Seeing Michael Phelps win the gold, those are moments that I was actually physically there for. I have such fond memories of being at the Olympics with Omega. It's wonderful to continue doing that and especially to come back together.

What inspires you most about these Olympic athletes?

KG: I think any job requires discipline. But the level of discipline that these Olympians dedicate years of their life to, and the amount of pressure that they're under, and the way they have to perform under that pressure, I’m just in awe of it. It never ceases to amaze me. 

CC: And for so many of these athletes, it's pure passion. Even if there’s maybe not a big payday, they’re putting themselves through that, just because they love it. That to me is really awesome.

You’ve also seen Omega’s timekeeping in action. What do you think it takes to do that job?

CC: The same values that Omega brings to timekeeping is what Omega stands for. It's just excellence and precision. When people invest in a nice watch, they want that, and at the Olympics, measuring a 100th of a second can make the difference between winning and losing. It's pretty cool that Omega has taken that on as part of their company legacy.

Which Omega watch is your gold medal champion?

CC: My choice is, of course, Constellation.

KG: Right now I'm wearing the Speedmaster 38mm, but my all-time favourite is the Mini Trésor.

Steel or gold?

KG: I switch it up depending on what I'm wearing. 

CC: And a lot of times we like the mix of gold and steel because it’s so versatile. It feels like you can wear it with anything, even a t-shirt. And then you can also dress it up at night.

And finally, what’s one thing from Paris that you wish you could take home?

CC: The bread.

KG: Yeah, I was going to say the bread and the croissants. 

CC: They’re next level here. And the pain au chocolat.