Saint-Imier based Swiss watchmaker Longines officially inaugurated its new boutique in Sydney's iconic Queen Victoria Building in the presence of their Ambassador of Elegance and actor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

The event was marked by the visit of the Queen's Baton – of which Longines is the official partner and watch – carried by the brand's friend and athlete Amy Pejkovic. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was also joined by the Vice-President and Head of International Marketing for the brand, Juan-Carlos Capelli to perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

During the event, Longines Ambassador of Elegance, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan said, “I am delighted to be in Australia to inaugurate this beautiful store and to have the honour of welcoming the Queen’s Baton for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. I am proud to have been part of the Longines family for the past decade and am equally proud to be part of the Commonwealth, celebrating in the lead up to what I’m sure will be a very exciting 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia in just 60 days.”

The Queen’s Baton, which arrived in Australia on 24 December 2017 and carries a message to the athletes from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is now travelling across all states and territories of Australia to arrive on the Gold Coast in time for the Opening Ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games on 4 April 2018.