Super-friend: Longines reveals Henry Cavill as new Ambassador of Elegance

Zach Blass

Over the last few years, we have seen Longines align with an attractive ensemble of ambassadors, who the brand has referred to as “Ambassadors of Elegance”. Barbara Palvin, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Winslet, Suzy, and Regé-Jean Page have served in this role in recent years – and that doesn’t even include the athletes that Longines partners with both in and outside of the equestrian world. Today, Longines reveals its newest Ambassador of Elegance: Man of Steel and The Witcher actor Henry Cavill.

“In Henry, we recognise a real affinity with our brand’s values. His sophistication, genuine warmth, and multifaceted personality reflect what elegance means today,” Matthias Breschan, Longines’ CEO explained. “Whether commanding the screen in epic productions or sharing his passions for aviation and equestrianism, he maintains an authenticity and grace that makes him a clear embodiment of the Longines spirit.”

Though his tenure as Superman and Geralt has ended, Cavill has an exciting slate of projects in the pipeline – including an adaption of Warhammer 40,000 for Amazon Prime, a live-action Voltron film, and the upcoming third entry into the Enola Holmes saga. Unfortunately, such characters within these projects do not really leave room for horological cameos from Longines, but I personally think the appeal of having Henry Cavill as a brand ambassador is his certified nerd status.

I am by no means claiming “The Cavillrine’s” whole personality is that of a nerd, but he has proven that it is a significant dimension of his, despite being a macho action film star. Cavill has long shown a willingness to dig beneath the surface and really dive into his passions and obsessions. If you need any proof, just watch The Graham Norton Show clip above, or any clip of him discussing The Witcher, Warhammer 40,000 or video games in general. Such geekdom is a strong indicator of someone willing to fall down the rabbit hole to immerse themselves in the lore and heritage of a watch brand.

An interesting thread I’m finding here is that a Longines ambassadorship likely confirms that Cavill is out of the running as James Bond, as any 007 actor would be beholden to Omega. I haven’t been holding my breath though, as the Broccoli family did suggest they wanted a younger face for the role. Of course, this didn’t stop the Internet from getting hyped for the possibility when Cavill’s original 007 audition tape leaked recently.

The watch community has become rather sceptical of paid promotions, with the schooled-up watch snob questioning why watch brands sign on brand ambassadors when, in their opinion, they have no effect on their watch purchasing decisions. The irrefutable reality is that brand ambassadors position brands in front of a whole new audience, lending their image and affirmation to the brand. Whether it’s the Super Bowl, Oscars, or Met Gala, these moments are ripe for watch-spotting moments in lifestyle publications, and with the undeniable engagement on the table, watch publications like ourselves engage in it as well.

The vocal detractors of watch-spotting content are either in the minority or unable to publicly admit it is, at a minimum, a guilty pleasure. Brand ambassador dynamic-hating members of the niche watch community can hate all they want, but it’s clear that such partnerships, when properly aligned like in the case of Cavill and Longines, stand to draw a lot of attention towards the brand’s watches.