Several seconds of screen time in a major Hollywood movie were enough to create a few timepiece legends. Ask Jack Heuer about the bump in Heuer (pre-TAG) Monaco sales following the watch’s role on Steve McQueen’s wrist in the 1971 racing film “LeMans.” When Elvis Presley donned a Hamilton Ventura that he requested for the 1961 film “Blue Hawaii,” the “Elvis” watch’s sales soared.
And of course, James Bond has made wearing Rolex – and more recently Omega– almost as exciting as saving the world from certain doom. The fact that silent film star Rudolph Valentino apparently refused to take off his Cartier Tank Americaine during the filming of “Son of the Sheik” in 1926 led millions of his fans to stoke the Cartier Tank legend, creating a classic watch. (However, when Tallulah Bankhead mispronounced Patek Philippe as ‘Philip Pateek‘ in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1944 film “Lifeboat,” the brand’s sales likely remained steady.)
There are many good reasons watch companies trumpet their Hollywood connections. For one, the star’s goodwill typically means his or her most die-hard fans will ask to see the same watch when in the market to buy a timepiece. The more fans a movie star has, the greater the potential payoff of an on-screen timepiece scene. Watches make it to the big screen via many routes, but a film’s prop master may just be the single most critical link. Occasionally, a brand hears from the actor, director or writer that its dials are desired on screen.
Clockwise: Salma Hayek poses in the Piaget Lounge during The 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 23, 2013 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/WireImage), Cameron Diaz shines in TAG Heuer ads and makes appearances for the brand, Ewan McGregor visits IWC at this year’s SIHH, Gerard Butler wears Roger Dubuis on screen and off screen.
Hamilton
At Hamilton, for example, the brand constantly works with directors, prop masters, costume designers and technical staff to design models that are the perfect fit for the actors and the script. In the 1960s, director Stanley Kubrick approached Hamilton to develop a watch and a table clock for his film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” More recently, for “Men in Black” and “Men in Black 2,” Hamilton specially equipped its iconic Ventura model with a light dial. Likewise, the Hamilton Khaki Twilight was created for the needs of the 2007 movie “I Am Legend,” for which Hamilton integrated the facility to countdown to the beginning and end of twilight.
At Hamilton, for example, the brand constantly works with directors, prop masters, costume designers and technical staff to design models that are the perfect fit for the actors and the script. In the 1960s, director Stanley Kubrick approached Hamilton to develop a watch and a table clock for his film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” More recently, for “Men in Black” and “Men in Black 2,” Hamilton specially equipped its iconic Ventura model with a light dial. Likewise, the Hamilton Khaki Twilight was created for the needs of the 2007 movie “I Am Legend,” for which Hamilton integrated the facility to countdown to the beginning and end of twilight.
With so many futuristic-looking watches in movies, Hamilton has decided to open a futuristic online laboratory, www.hamilton-lab.com, where fans can discover and order models inspired from cinema.
Despite the sci-fi appeal of certain Hamilton models, it’s the brand’s wide-ranging selection of vintage styles that make it a favorite for film stylists. On its website, Hamilton lists hundreds of movies in which Hamilton is the watch of choice on the star (or co-star’s) wrist.
The U.S.-founded brand made its Hollywood movie debut in 1951 underwater. Actors playing Navy diving heroes wore Hamilton watches to film the Oscar-nominated movie “The Frogmen,” shot off the coast of Florida. The film, based on a true story, portrayed heroic U.S. naval divers during World War II as they prepared safe landings for supplies and troops on hostile shores. It was also the first movie ever to document scuba diving with all the technical and practical challenges that presented.
Blancpain’s Fifty Fathom’s, as many collectors know, gained traction among divers following its role in a 1950s film. However, that 1956 feature, “The Silent World,” was a documentary, not a Hollywood film. (Read more about Blancpain next month in our special nautical-themed issue.)
The Hamilton involvement in the movie world in recent years has extended beyond product. Each year the brand hosts the Behind the Camera Awards in Hollywood to honor special artists for their individual impact on the film industry. The awards spotlight the vital and highly creative work carried out behind the scenes to make a movie successful, whether it is screenwriting, prop-master or prop-mistress.
Bond Watches
Omega and Rolex (with cameos by Seiko, Breitling and TAG Heuer) have dominated James Bond’s wrist since the films of Ian Fleming’s super spy debuted more than five decades ago. The Rolex of Ian Fleming’s novels have given way to the Omega Seamaster, which has been seen in every Bond film since 1995 (see the Omega website for a complete listing of all 007 models).
Omega and Rolex (with cameos by Seiko, Breitling and TAG Heuer) have dominated James Bond’s wrist since the films of Ian Fleming’s super spy debuted more than five decades ago. The Rolex of Ian Fleming’s novels have given way to the Omega Seamaster, which has been seen in every Bond film since 1995 (see the Omega website for a complete listing of all 007 models).
The market for so-called James Bond Rolexes and Omegas is thriving, spurred on by high auction prices in recent years. It is believed that in the first Bond film, “Dr. No,” Sean Connery’s Bond wore a Rolex Reference 6538 Submariner. Antiquorum last year auctioned one of these rare models for approximately $56,000.
While it’s rare for any watch to leap from a quick movie scene to a best-seller, consistent sightings on screen can create a “buzz,” which in Hollywood can mean a watch might have a slightly better chance of a repeat performance in another film. Many TAG Heuer fans, for example, await the next “Bourne”-related film for a glimpse of their favorite brand.
Other watches take on a nickname among collectors based on a film sighting. The so-called Paul Newman Rolex Cosmograph Daytona or the McQueen (Heuer) Monaco, each worn by its namesake on screen, are major examples. TAG Heuer in 2009 elevated the fan-proclaimed moniker to official status with a limited edition McQueen Monaco.
Many collectors of film-related timepieces chronicle sightings in movies online (see watchesinmovies.info for one crowd-sourced example) while at the same time watch companies continue to partner with film studios and their marketing divisions and related public relations companies.
A few brands either host or make annual appearances at award shows, in part to familiarize stars and their entourages with their watches. The above-noted Hamilton hosts the Behind the Camera Awards, while Piaget sponsors the Film Independent Spirit Awards each year. You’ll find Chopard’s name on the actual Palme d’Or, the award given to winners at the Cannes Film Festival, because Chopard designs and makes the award.
Additionally, several brands enlist Hollywood ambassadors to sport their watches in public, on the red carpet and even on film when possible. Indeed, you’ll read about many of these ambassadorships frequently in the pages of International Watch. We’ve gathered a sample of recent film star sightings and ambassadors on these pages.
Clockwise: Screenwriter Zoe Kazan and Hamilton Watches CEO Sylvain Dolla attend The 6th Annual Hamilton Behind The Camera Awards (Photo by Charley Gallay/WireImage), Clive Owen was among the very first collectors to enter the Maison d’Antoine, a newly opened hospitality area at Jaeger-LeCoultre headquarters in Le Sentier, Switzerland.
No comments:
Post a Comment