The watch Jackie Chan wears is a limited edition Richard Mille model named after him!

Celebrity Watch Hunting is a series of columns that takes a snapshot of a scene and introduces the watches worn by celebrities around the world. This time, we take a look at the Richard Mille watches worn by Jackie Chan, who has brought a breath of fresh air to kung fu movies and has fans all over the world.

Jackie Chan changed the image of kung fu movies

　Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong actor, director, producer, martial artist, and singer active around the world. He is undoubtedly one of the key figures in the kung fu film industry, which had previously been dominated by serious revenge dramas, by introducing comedy elements to the genre and successfully reaching a wider audience. His upbringing is complicated; his father was a spy for the Chinese Nationalist Party. After the Chinese Civil War, he fled to Hong Kong, changed his name, and worked as a cook at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong. Surprisingly, Jackie Chan only found out in 2001 that his real name was different and that he had a brother.

　His life was just like the story of the movie, and he filmed his own story as a documentary, "Trace of a Dragon," which was released in 2003.

　As a child, Jackie Chan studied Peking Opera (a traditional Chinese performing art) and Chinese martial arts from the age of seven, and entered the film industry as an extra and stuntman, eventually appearing as an extra in Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" at the age of 19. However, he left acting for a time and moved in with his parents, who were living in Australia at the time, where he worked as a plasterer and chef, unrelated to acting.

　When Jackie Chan returned to acting in Hong Kong, his turning point came with "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow." He incorporated comedy into kung fu films, which had previously tended to be serious, and went on to star in a string of hits, including "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow," and even directed them himself, on his way to becoming a superstar. His "Rush Hour" series achieved great success at the box office worldwide, and he has even appeared as a presenter at the Academy Awards, becoming one of Asia's leading actors.

Jackie Chan wearing the Richard Mille RM 057 Tourbillon Jackie Chan

　Jackie Chan is wearing the Richard Mille RM 057 Tourbillon Jackie Chan, released in 2012 (the Year of the Dragon). Inspired by Jackie Chan's name, which means "he who becomes a dragon," this rose gold and white gold model was made in a limited edition of just 36 pieces worldwide. Even Jackie Chan would have loved the artistic and dynamic design, with the dragon's whiskers entwined around the tourbillon bridge. The intricate details of the dragon's scales and the texture of its jade-green dorsal fin are particularly stunning.

Also wearing the Richard Mille RM 053 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough

　This photo was taken at the Richard Mille Taipei opening event held in Taipei in 2017. The model he is wearing is the RM 053 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough, a model developed for polo player Pablo Mac Donough, one of Richard Mille's partners. It shows that he owns a wide range of watches, including one named after himself. Next, we'll take a look at this unique-looking model.

　The RM053 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough, released in 2012, features a three-dimensional arc within a titanium-covered, armor-like case. The movement's windows are designed with a 30-degree tilt, with the second hand located on the tourbillon carriage in the left window and the hour and minute hands in the right window. This tilt angle was determined by studying the ideal angle for a polo rider to view the watch from the saddle. While polo is not widely known in Japan, it is a sport deeply connected to the history of improving watch shock resistance. Polo involves unpredictable physical impacts from mallets and balls, which are hit with great force. Just imagining the rules of the game—riding horses to capture the ball and score a goal—suggests a variety of impact risks. As an aside, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso was originally developed as a sports watch for polo.

　The transparent baseplate and bridges have undergone extensive validation testing to ensure maximum strength. To test the resistance to various shocks, Richard Mille uses a pendulum impact testing machine, which subjects the case and movement to impacts of up to 5000 g with a stainless steel ball. During development, a sample was sent to Pablo Mac Donough, but it was returned completely destroyed, demonstrating just how dangerous polo can be.

Jackie Chan's Magnificent Richard Mille Collection

　In addition to the two watches mentioned above, Jackie Chan is a Richard Mille enthusiast and owns numerous special pieces, including a collaboration model with Airbus and the RM 051 Tourbillon Phoenix, RM 51-01 Tourbillon Tiger & Dragon, and RM 57-01 Tourbillon Phoenix & Dragon, both of which were made with actress Michelle Yeoh. Now 68 years old, he sadly announced his retirement from action movies after 2012's "Rising the Dragon," but he continues to shine in the film industry. In 2016, upon receiving an Honorary Academy Award, he proclaimed, "I continue to make films, even jumping out of windows, kicking and punching, and breaking bones, all for the sake of my fans around the world. Thank you!" The audience erupted in a standing ovation. Known for his passionate dedication to his fans, Jackie Chan is said to always extend special treatment to fans who visit his Hong Kong studios, even during filming, by signing autographs and taking photos with them. For fans, it must have been a glorious moment on par with the watches in Jackie Chan's collection.