What watch did Christopher Nolan, director of the latest film "TENET," choose?

What kind of watches do top celebrities choose? Celebrity Watch Hunting is a series of columns that showcases scenes featuring celebrities from around the world. This time, we'll be focusing on the watches chosen by film director Christopher Nolan!

Christopher Nolan

　Christopher Nolan was born in London, England in 1970. He has produced a string of hits, including the "Batman" series, "Inception," and "Interstellar," and is one of the most promising directors in Hollywood today. The common theme of "time" lies within many of Nolan's works. Many viewers are addicted to the complex and intricate worldview of the time axis that he depicts, a man of exceptional artistic talent. He is also known for his love of film photography, even in an age where digital photography has become widespread worldwide. This contrast may be what creates the unique texture of his works.

　So what kind of watch does Nolan, who prefers analog, wear? Let's take a look at the watch he wore when he won the Director of the Year award for "Dunkirk" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California in 2018. It's a square watch with a black dial and an Art Deco-style inverted case. It's the Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931

　The Grande Reverso Ultra Thin Tribute to 1931 revives the design of the first model of Jaeger-LeCoultre's iconic Reverso watch, which was born in 1931. The movement is equipped with the hand-wound square caliber 822 with a classic gear train structure. This tribute model is full of classic style both in appearance and in its contents.

　In fact, this watch was released in a limited edition of only 10 pieces worldwide. It was a collaboration model with the film "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises," featuring a bat on the case back, and was not available for sale. The standard model was released in 2012, the same year the film, directed by Nolan, was released. Nolan will likely be wearing one of these 10 limited edition watches. While it wasn't Nolan's idea to first feature the Reverso in "Batman," it's clear that Nolan likes this watch, as he has frequently been seen wearing it even recently.

The collaboration between Batman and Jaeger-LeCoultre seems to have existed since 1995's Batman Forever, before Nolan took over the helm. The Reverso was chosen for Batman because it symbolized the dual nature of the protagonist, Bruce Wayne, a billionaire who fights evil while disguised as the black-clad hero Batman. The film was meticulous down to the smallest details, including the props, and this is reflected in the selection of watches.

　In Christopher Nolan's trilogy, "The Dark Knight Trilogy," Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale, also wore a Reverso with an 18K gold case.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grand Date

Following "Interstellar," he collaborated with Hamilton on his latest film, "Tenet."

His experience as a director on "Batman" may have given Nolan a perspective on, or perhaps deepened his thoughts on, "matching movies and wristwatches." In his second film, 2000's "Memento," Nolan depicted a timeline being played backwards. "Time" has also been an important element in Nolan's subsequent works. He has likely poured his heart and soul into clocks, which visualize time.

　In the 2014 sci-fi film "Interstellar," set in the near future in America, a father in a far-off dimension sends Morse code to his daughter Murph on Earth using the second hand of his watch. The watches that play this important role were made by the American brand Hamilton. They are the classic model "Khaki Pilot Day Date" and the collaboration watch "Khaki Field Murph Auto," also known as the "Murph Watch."

　And starting today, September 18th, Nolan's latest film, "TENET," will begin screening in Japan. The story description from the film's official website is as follows:

"The protagonist's mission is to escape from the 'rules of time' that humanity has always believed in."

　Nolan has once again collaborated with Hamilton in this film, which has the theme of "time reversal." The model chosen is the Khaki Navy Below Zero, a diver's watch with a water resistance of 1000m. If you're heading to the theater, be sure to check out the watch.

　Watch and movie lovers will also be interested to know that Nolan is a fan of the "007" series, and in an interview for "Inception," he said, "I'd love to direct a Bond film someday." Perhaps the day when we can see a Nolan-customized "James Bond model" is not far off?