By Kien M. Lee | Photos by Marco Grob for Speake-Marin
Picking a celebrity who embodies the values and exudes the qualities that your label represents, is by no means an easy task. I know, I've seen plenty of them in the media-saturated landscape that we live in today.
And that is why the appointment of Pierce Brosnan by watchmaker Speake-Marin as its ambassador, is one such inspired move.
Well played, sir.
Who else other than the man who portrayed Remington Steele, James Bond, and how can I let you forget, Thomas Crowne in the sparkling remake of Steve McQueen's original, could whether in character or off-the-screen, convey the sophistication and sartorial sensibilities like the Irish actor, producer and environmentalist?
The narrative is direct, it is simple: A Speake-Marin looks good on the wrist of the private investigator, the secret agent, the billionaire who thieves for fun, to the gentleman behind the scenes.
Just like the intricate workings of a well-made timepiece, the stars had to be perfectly aligned for Peter Speake-Marin to meet Pierce Brosnan. The fateful introduction took place on the set of Survivor, a movie directed by James McTeigue set for release this year — Speake-Marin was then serving as a consultant for Brosnan's character who was a watchmaker.
It was on this occasion that the two would form a friendship and forge a bond, that their shared values eventually made the selection of the quintessential male lead of our times to front the watch label, a natural progression in the conversation.
Images from Pierce Brosnan’s Instagram account from the photoshoot in New York
I met Peter on the set of a film... We both love what we do, and myself as a lover of watches I appreciated his genuine passion and subsequent designs. I acquired one of his timepieces and a dialogue ensued."
Pierce Brosnan’s Instagram shots of photographer Marco Grob and Peter Speake-Marin
"When Peter asked me to be an ambassador for his work it was a simple answer," reveals Brosnan.
For the watchmaker who founded his own atelier in 2002, focusing on creating high-end timepieces under his own name in Switzerland, few come close to the Englishman's élan, expertise and importantly, experience. He first paid his dues working at Somlo Antiques — London's leading specialist of antique pocket watches and vintage wristwatches — where it was not only about restoring collectible timepieces but also delving into the minds of the original watchmaker in order to solve the puzzle, so to speak.
He later cut his teeth, joining what would become Audemars Piguet Renaud et Papi (APRP) to develop wristwatch movements, from tourbillons, minute repeaters to grand complications.
Through his workshop he worked on pieces for MB&F, Harry Winston and Maitres du Temp, but since 2008, he has focused on his own original creations. Early in the process, Speake-Marin watches were based on movements by ETA, Christophe Claret and Dimier, but the watchmaker has now built these specialities in-house, with movements now produced entirely by the Speake-Marin team.
Today the independent watchmaker, one of a few in the industry, produces roughly 500 timepieces a year. These fall under 3 lines, firstly the Spirit line, secondly the Resilience and the Serpent Calendar, and thirdly the Cabinet des Mystères.
In the first series of visuals by Marco Grob, the Swiss photographer captures Brosnan in his New York studio, with the Resilience timepiece on show. Elegance, simplicity, independence and courage are the values shared by the watchmaking brand and the actor, and the images by all subtleties exhibit these.
For more information, go to //speake-marin.com
