by Teo Van Den Broeke
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As brand ambassadors go, we imagine Eddie Redmayne must be a bit of a dream to work with. Not only is the 34-year-old Oscar winning actor the politest man in show business; he's also sample size, has high enough cheekbones to rival those of his leading ladies (as Alicia Vikander well knows) and is potentially the most talented young actor of his generation. Clever of Swiss watch brand Omega, then, to have snapped up the star of The Danish Girl as the campaign ambassador for its new mid-century inspired timepiece, the Globemaster. Uniquely, the newly released timepiece is both COSC and METAS-certified, making it the first Master Chronometer in the world. We caught up with Redmayne in LA at the Globemaster launch dinner to learn more about his new role at Omega.
ESQUIRE: Nice watch! What is it about the Globemaster that most appeals to you, Eddie?
EDDIE REDMAYNE: "There's something about the design [of the Globemaster]. It's incredibly beautiful; it has a classic quality to it. It derives from a watch that Omega made in the 60s. And it has a mixture of a very modern appeal but a classic appeal to it as well. It means, for me, I can kind of wear it with anything. So that's probably why I love it."
ESQ: Did you know much about Omega's history before working with them?
ER: "One of the things that I love about what I do, work wise, is that you get to delve into different periods of history and whenever I play a character. Quite often the first place I'll go is to the National Portrait Gallery in London and find images and paintings. So the notion of history is something that always intrigues me. Omega's history has been really compelling for me - whether it's right from when the British Air Corp first starting using watches in 1917 through to landing on the moon.
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ER: "I don't like watches to be overstated or ostentatious. You want to feel a weight to your watch and a history to it. For me, in a subtle way, it makes you feel stronger having a decent watch on."
ESQ: If you could travel back to one period in history, which would it be?
ER: "I've just done two films that were set in the 1920s. The Danish Girl and then a film called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. On Fantastic Beasts, there was a moment when we were shooting in Leavesden Studios in London where they rebuilt 1920s New York. It was on a scale of a golden age of Hollywood and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen. There was a scene early on, when I was standing on these steps of a bank, overlooking New York. They had brought in all these period cars from the United States, and there were extras as far as the eye could see, and there was smoke coming up from these plumes, and I was just totally enraptured. I thought, "Yeah, I wouldn't mind [going back to] the roaring 20s."
ESQ: Do you feel much pressure to live up to your 'style icon' status?
ER: No, I have a very wonderful stylist in the form of my wife. I'm colour blind, so occasionally I'll go for things that are slightly outlandish and she'll temper me back into the world of taste. What's wonderful if you're an actor, and you get to go to these events, is that there are very brilliant people who work at these fashion houses who have astounding taste and they tend to guide you in the right direction. I don't think I can take much credit for that.
"This way please! " thx so much Eddie 😘, so friendly and truly great poser for watches! (x)
