8 of the biggest name Korean ambassadors for luxury watches: Blackpink’s Lisa reps Bulgari, Jisoo works with Cartier, Hyun Bin and Han So-hee scored Omega gigs and Wi Ha-joon works with Tag Heuer
The Korean wave isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
Luxury watch brands are also keen to get their foot in the door with big-name Korean celebs. From Omega and Cartier to Tag Heuer, here’s a look at the mega deals between Korean stars and luxury watch brands:
1. Hyun Bin – Omega
Recently, Hyun Bin and Clooney both appeared in the same campaign promoting the Swiss brand’s iconic Speedmaster ‘57 model. The heartthrobs embodied the different vibes of each timepiece – one for its classic iconic look and the other for its modern, chic spirit.
The 40-year-old Korean superstar was the perfect choice for the brand thanks to his “exceptional skill that allows him to boldly and confidently portray the character he wants,” according to a statement from Omega’s CEO Raynald Aeschlimann, “Furthermore, as a flawless type of actor, we were confident that he could work with Omega’s perfect and excellent timepieces.”
2. Han So-hee – Omega
The 28-year-old breakout star got her claim to fame with Netflix series’ My Name and Nevertheless. According to Omega, “her essential character gives a great inspiration to Omega’s philosophy and her charismatic and captivating aura is in perfect harmony with the brand”.
3. Blackpink’s Lisa – Bulgari
Released in January, the Bulgari Bulgari x Lisa was launched as a collaboration between the K-pop star and the Italian house. Crafted in stainless steel and 18-karat rose gold, the 23mm case features a striking multicoloured changing sunray dial and 12 brilliant-cut diamond indexes. On the caseback, Lisa personally chose and designed her favourite flower, the edelweiss, and her “L” initial in the centre. Limited to just 300 pieces, its listed price is around US$6,800.
4. Blackpink’s Jisoo – Cartier
Lisa’s groupmate Jisoo, 28, also landed a sweet deal last year with one of the world’s biggest jewellers and watchmakers, Cartier.
“With her self-assured style, she is the voice of a new generation of creatives who dare to show their different talents. She is an artist who takes on her role with great creative freedom, never limiting herself,” Arnaud Carrez, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at Cartier said in a statement.
5. Wi Ha-joon – Tag Heuer
In addition to his debut campaign to promote the new model Calibre E4, the 31-year-old also appears with the brand’s other latest designs, as seen on his Instagram.
6. Kim Woo-bin – Jaeger-LeCoultre
7. Gong Hyo-jin – Piaget
The 42-year-old has since become a regular at Piaget’s events and in commercial films. She also regularly shares posts of the Swiss brand’s latest watch models and jewellery pieces on her socials.
8. Lee Seung-gi – Breitling
He debuted in an advert wearing pieces from the brand’s various collections, including the Navitimer, Chronomat and Superocean Heritage.
“Active in singing, acting, entertaining and even emceeing, Lee Seung-gi fits well with Breitling’s values of pursuing professionalism in various fields. We are delighted to be able to introduce Breitling’s unique luxury timepieces through Lee Seung-gi who is building an unrivalled career across various genres,” Breitling Korea said at the time.
- From BTS’ Jimin for Dior, to Suga for Valentino and NewJeans’ Hyein for Louis Vuitton, fashion brands are known to work with K-pop stars – but what about luxury watch companies?
- Crash Landing on You’s Hyun Bin joins George Clooney, Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman at Omega, Kim Woo-bin reps Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget chose Gong Hyo-jin, and Lee Seung-gi works with Breitling