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Swiss watch buff Schwarzenegger unveils his own timepiece brand

ZURICH — Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled his way into the Baselworld watch fair yesterday (March 21) to unveil his own brand of wristwatches, a business endeavour that may surprise fans of his movies more than aficionados of timepieces.

Arnold  Schwarzenegger’s affinity for watches began on the sets of his movies where he admired the rugged, oversized, utilitarian designs that he wore as he portrayed military and renegade characters for his blockbuster action films. Photo: Getty Images

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s affinity for watches began on the sets of his movies where he admired the rugged, oversized, utilitarian designs that he wore as he portrayed military and renegade characters for his blockbuster action films. Photo: Getty Images

ZURICH — Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled his way into the Baselworld watch fair yesterday (March 21) to unveil his own brand of wristwatches, a business endeavour that may surprise fans of his movies more than aficionados of timepieces.

The Austria-born film star and former governor of California is introducing Schwarzenegger watches in partnership with Brazilian watchmaker Magnum Group. Three collections inspired by his careers in body-building, acting and politics are on display at the watch industry’s largest annual gathering through next week.

“We’ve been working on it for a year and a half and finally Magnum came through with a lot of dedication and hard work,” the Terminator actor told a cheering crowd at Baselworld, wearing one of the watches.

Schwarzenegger’s interest in watches began on the sets of his blockbuster action movies, when brands would place massive timepieces on his wrist to help boost sales. Within the industry, he shares credit with Sylvester Stallone in helping make enormous watches popular. Terminator 3 featured an oversize Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore timepiece.

The new line is set to go on sale in September for US$565 to US$2,790 (S$778.06 to S$3,842.11), according to Sao Paulo-based Magnum Group, Brazil’s biggest watchmaker, which is overseeing their production. The timepieces will be 100 per cent Swiss-made and Magnum plans on selling them in department stores worldwide. Part of the proceeds will go to After-School All-Star programme, which the actor founded to provide activities to children in poor communities.

SKEPTICAL ANALYST

Rene Weber, an analyst at Bank Vontobel AG in Zurich, said he’s skeptical of the idea.

“Swiss watches are timeless, and have a long-term story, but in 20 years, nobody will know who Arnold Schwarzenegger is,” he said. “It makes sense to have celebrities advertising the brand, but for a celebrity to launch his own brand is a whole other story.”

Magnum is one of the largest watchmakers in Latin America, with capacity to produce 5 million units annually. The company is also introducing a Champion Neymar collection this year inspired by the Brazilian football star.

Many Swiss brands use well-known actors and athletes to help advertise. This year at Baselworld, TAG Heuer is showing watches linked to Cristiano Ronaldo and Cara Delevingne. Earlier, Richard Mille unveiled a Jackie Chan watch priced at more than US$500,000. One of the best-known links between a star and a brand is the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona.

Other celebrities have lent their names as watch brands. JLO Watches by Jennifer Lopez, produced by E Gluck, are being shown at Baselworld again this year, while Gevril Group showcased Paris Hilton timekeepers in past fairs.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This isn’t Schwarzenegger’s first time at Baselworld, which this year is expected to attract 150,000 attendees. He visited stands of brands such as Zenith at the show in 2012. The same year he told the magazine WatchTime that he had a drawer full of more than 50 timepieces and he knows them so well that he can tell them apart in the dark by distinguishing the feel of their straps.

Audemars Piguet has made several limited editions linked to Schwarzenegger, including the “End of Days” model from its Royal Oak Offshore collection, timed with the release of the 1999 movie, which starred Schwarzenegger in the role of an ex-cop who gets possessed by Satan.

The entry-level Legend Collection will feature a compass and a band in the form of a leather bodybuilder strap. The Hero Collection, the midrange segment, will include a second timezone display, a dial that looks like the eye of the Terminator and a bullet-hole design on the strap.

The higher-end Heritage Collection will be available in rose gold with a map of California on the dial. It will have an automatic mechanism that winds itself via the motion of the wearer’s wrist, while the first two collections use quartz technology.

“Thank you very much, and I’ll be back,” the actor said. The crowd responded with hoots. BLOOMBERG

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