What kind of watches do top celebrities choose? Celebrity Watch Hunting is a series of columns that showcases private moments of celebrities from around the world. This time, we'll be looking at the watch of choice of film director Quentin Tarantino, who has influenced countless creators with his work on films such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill (2003), and Django Unchained (2012).
Quentin Tarantino
This time, we'll be looking at Quentin Tarantino, photographed at the Producers Guild Awards, a precursor to the Academy Awards, held on January 18, 2020. Tarantino won the award for his role in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which was released in Japan in August 2019. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, and has garnered attention for its stunning recreation of 1960s Hollywood streets, music, and costumes. The film was also nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Costume Design.
Now, let's take a look at Tarantino's watch. Although the image is blurry, we can see the large Arabic numerals, the distinctive diamond-shaped hands, and the power reserve indicator at 3 o'clock. This is likely an IWC Big Pilot's Watch.
IWC
"Big Pilot's Watch"
During World War II, IWC supplied pilot's watches to both the British and German armies. The Big Pilot's Watch, an aviation chronometer, was made for Germany. Before fighter planes took off, this watch synchronized the time with the marine chronometers at air bases and transmitted that time to each pilot's wristwatch.
After many years, the Big Pilot's Watch was revived in 2000 when IWC completed its in-house automatic caliber 5000 series. The first model, the Big Pilot's Watch Ref. 5002, was released in 02, with its accuracy improved to the point where it could be touted as an aviation chronometer. The development of the caliber 5011 that powered the watch was led by the famous Kurt Klaus. It boasted a power reserve of approximately 168 hours, far longer than originally planned.
Since then, the movement has undergone several improvements. The latest model, released in 2018, is equipped with the caliber 52110. The vibration frequency has been increased from 18,000 vph to 28,800 vph, and the barrel has been changed from a single to a double barrel, achieving better isochronism while maintaining the long power reserve of approximately 168 hours. The inclusion of a soft iron inner case to protect the movement from magnetic fields remains unchanged from the original model.
Quentin Tarantino was born in the United States on March 27, 1963. He loved movies from a young age, wrote his first script at age 14, and dropped out of high school at age 16 to join a theater company. He spent his days working part-time at a video rental store, immersing himself in films from around the world, studying acting at the theater, and practicing scriptwriting. His strong writing style has led some to call him a genius, but his talent is also the result of hard work.
His ninth directorial work, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," was nominated for five Academy Awards, but failed to win any. Tarantino has previously stated that he would retire from directing after making 10 feature films. His next film, while filled with regret for missing out on an award this time, is likely to attract even more attention from all movie fans. It will also be exciting to see what kind of watch he'll be wearing when it arrives.
