Oscar-winning actor and Omega brand ambassador Eddie Redmayne was the guest of honour at the Swiss watchmaker’s opening night gala in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The event was held at Omega House which is located on Ipenama Beach, as the 2016 Olympics got under way yesterday.

Looking as stylish as ever, Eddie was accompanied by his wife Hannah.

As the official timekeeper of Olympics for the 27^th time since 1932, Omega is celebrating the event from its unique location on the beach and will host many evenings for guests over the course of the Games.

Omega House looked spectacular for its début. Past the impressive waterfall and into the main patio, a champagne bar and strawberry cart was set up to toast the event as guests stepped through the doors for the first time. 

The opening gala was also attended by several notable guests including His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, legendary Brazilian sailor and Omega friend Torben Grael, Brazilian designer Francisco Costa, and American actress Camilla Belle. 

They shared the red carpet with Eddie, who spoke about his excitement in opening the House: “I was told that Omega House was going to be breath-taking and it is. It’s going to be a great place to people-watch and hopefully see if I can spot a few Olympians. It’s heaven. I’ve never before been to Brazil before. But this country has such a reputation for energy, for vibrancy, for culture, dance and music. But all of my expectations have been superseded. My wife and I feel very lucky to be here.”

President and CEO of Omega Raynald Aeschlimann said, “A lot of passion and spirit has gone into making Omega House a wonderful destination for the Olympic Games and the perfect place to celebrate our role as official timekeeper, which is such an important part of our brand.” 

Grael was also on stage and spoke about his pride in attending the opening ceremony, which had taken place Friday evening. 

Omega House is located inside Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim on Ipanema Beach. With views out across the sand and palm trees, the interior of the members-only club has been created around the pillars of the Omega brand. Guests are able to step foot into themed rooms dedicated to sports timekeeping, space exploration, ocean heritage, ladies’ timepieces and watchmaking innovation. A number of other special events are scheduled throughout the sporting event.

Other VIP guests included Alain Zobrist, CEO of Omega Timing; Bill Sweeney, CEO of The British Olympic Association; Darren Campbell, former British sprinter and Olympic Games gold medallist; Brazilian film stars Cléo Pires, Carolina Ferraz and Renato Góes; Oscar Metsavaht, the founder and style director of Osklen; actor Ricardo Tosi; singer Toni Garrido and Brazilian blogger Helena Lunardelli.