Bradley Cooper Takes Center Stage As IWC’s New Ambassador At 150th Birthday Extravaganza

Purists that they are, the International Watch Co. has a reputation for turning orthodoxy on its proverbial head. From the F.A. Jones calibres and Pallweber pocket watches, to the Ernst Jakob Homberger-designed Big Pilot Watch, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer has perfected the masterful interplay of refined beauty and understated elegance. No wonder the maison celebrated its 150th birthday in grand style.

To commemorate the occasion, Hollywood heartthrob and four-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper was introduced as the newest member of IWC’s family of brand ambassadors. The company also unveiled a limited-edition 27-timepiece Jubilee collection at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). Let’s start with Bradley Cooper.

“We are happy to welcome Bradley Cooper to our exclusive circle of brand ambassadors,” Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, says. “With his pursuit of quality and creativity, he is a perfect match for IWC, a brand.”

While Brad’s ambassadorship is new, his love for the brand is anything but. People Magazine’s 2011 “Sexiest Man Alive”, has been known to wear the IWC Big Pilot Reference IW500401, his favorite, both off and on the big screen. Take, for example, the time he sported the IWC Big Pilot on his 2012 The Hollywood Reporter cover. Or at the 2014 premiere of Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy. Then, there is the time he wore an IWC Big Pilot on the set of his 2015 film, Aloha, co-starring Emma Stone.

The Hangover star joins an elite circle of Big Pilot enthusiasts such as John Mayer, Michael Strahan, and Orlando Bloom who proudly sport the watch. What’s more, Jamie Foxx sported the Schaffhausen Aquatimer Chronograph during his “Miami Vice” run; Michael Douglas wore the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Kurt Klaus in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and Jeremy Renner donned the IWC Double Chronograph Top Gun in The Bourne Legacy.

And yet, it is the Jubilee Collection that takes center stage. The IWC Tribute to Pallweber (Ref.IW505001/IW505002/IW505003), IWC’s first-ever wristwatch with a jumping numerical model, while The Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Edition (Ref.IW504501) combines a perpetual calendar with a tourbillon—also a first for the brand.

Likewise, The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition (Ref.IW502708) with a 52850 calibre is the only model in the collection with an annual calendar. Additionally, The Da Vinci Automatic Moon Phase 36 Edition (Ref.IW459304/IW459309) has a case and moving lungs paved with 206 pure white diamonds totaling 2.26 carats.

All 27 watches are fitted with black alligator leather straps bearing the “150 Years” Jubilee insignia as a medallion or engraving. White or blue dials coated with up to 12 layers of premium lacquer, flat-polished, brushed, and imprinted several times is the overarching quality that unites the collections design.

Bradley Cooper’s ambassadorship embodies a love of craft, and respect for uncompromising quality. And much like IWC’s beginnings, his creativity will surely take brand collaboration well into an unprecedented and bold future.