72 hong kong tatler. august 2019WHAT HE’S WEARINGWith numerous unforgettable
performances both on stage and
in film, Eddie Redmayne is fast
becoming a Hollywood legend. He
won every major award for his heart-
rending 2014 portrayal of physicist
Stephen Hawking in The Theory
of Everything. We met the English
actor in Shanghai at the global launch
of the Planet Omega exhibition, a
travelling showcase of artefacts from
the brand’s past, during which he wore
his favourite timepiece, the Omega
Globemaster.What’s your pet peeve?
I like to be on time and get frustrated
when people are late. I think it stems
from being musical. If you’re just
a minute or two late for rehearsal,
you’re dismissed from the room. I
suppose in that way watches have
always been important to me. They
also hold sentimental value; my dad
had this beautiful Omega De Ville.Tell us about your dad.
He’s really elegant. He still works in
London, so he always wears a classic
suit with some kind of flamboyant
handkerchief. He has to help me
with my style—when I try to be
flamboyant it can go pretty wrong
because I’m colour-blind.Tell us about your coming film, The
Aeronauts.
I’m playing a historical scientist,
James Glaisher. He and his partner,
a wealthy young widow, mount a
balloon expedition to fly higher
than anyone in history. When I was
preparing for the role, I discovered
that Glaisher’s dad was a watchmaker.What would you be if not an actor?
I studied the history of art
at university and used to do
printmaking when I was younger.
So maybe I would have pursued
something in the art world. My wife
worked as an antiques dealer for a
while, which sounds like fun. I find
old objects beautiful.If you had a time machine, would you
travel to the future or the past?
Definitely the past. I suppose I’d
nip into the future out of curiosity,
but I’d go back to the past for
security. I’d love to time-travel back
to Elizabethan England, but I’ve
probably romanticised what it was
like. People were getting killed all the
time and it probably wasn’t actually
that much fun to live through.
Then again, the Roaring Twenties
would also be a good period. I love
the fashion from that era and I’m also
a fan of jazz. Oh, and champagne!If you could design a watch, what
would it look like?
Something magical that could have
been invented by JK Rowling. Maybe
I’d design a Time-Turner?
As far as aesthetics, I’d choose a
simple strap. Colleen Atwood is a
costume designer; she won an Oscar
for the first Fantastic Beasts film
we worked on together. She would
allow you one personal thing sewn
onto the inside of your costume.
Nobody sees it but you. Ezra Miller,
who plays Credence Barebone, had
this beautiful embroidery in his coat’s
lining. With that in mind, I’d probably
have a personalised engraving on
my watch’s case back. It would also
probably be thin, and steel. Also, I
love a blue dial.“I’d love to time-travel back to
Elizabethan England, but I’ve
probably romanticised what it
was like”
STYLE / Watches