There are those character-driving watches, but then also some plot-driving watches, like the Patek that Tom gives Logan in the first episode, or Greg's Rolex that he's not sure if Kendall is buying for him or not. With those ones, is that coming from the script or are you choosing what gets featured there?
The Patek was in the script. With Greg's watch, it was scripted as a Submariner. So the writers knew what they wanted for him. But then beyond that, we got to play with which style. There's a watch that Logan gives to Frank. And that was a fun one. Because that was one I got to handpick, because it wasn't really scripted. What style watch it was going to be.
What is it?
That was a Carl F Bucherer. And that was a big shift for him stylistically, because in season one he's wearing a rectangular face more. A very low profile watch. And then all of a sudden, he's gifted this watch from Logan, that's much beefier, and much more similar to the style of what Logan is wearing, even though Logan wears a Jaeger-LeCoultre, always. But the weight of it and the profile are more closely aligned with Logan. And that was fun to play with.
Is Logan a watch guy?
My understanding of his character is that he is not really a watch guy. There are a few things that he likes. He knows what he likes, and that's why we've kept him in the Jaeger. Every season, he's been in a very similar Jaeger. He knows that's his style. He has a Carl F Bucherer for a couple episodes here and there. But he knows his style. Even with his costume, you don't see him deviate very much.
Is it something similar with Roman? Because he basically only wears Rolexes, right?
Primarily. But you're going to see a bit more variety this coming season. It was fun to branch off.
What's the reasoning behind that?
I'm trying to think of how I'm allowed to answer that [laughs]. You can kind of see Roman spreading his wings in a way. As he moves on, as the story moves on, there's a bit more play that his character gets to have. I think he sees his siblings trying on different hats, so you get to see Roman do the same thing.
It does feel like the watches they wear reflect their mindset at the time. And Kendall is such a good example of that, where it feels like you'll go from something really huge to something really simple, as his whole mind is sort of collapsing and rebuilding all the time. It must be quite fun to think, what's the watch that matches this part of his mental breakdown?
It's fun. It's definitely really fun. I would say that, actually, quite a few of the actors really care about their watches. Or we've started to care together.
How does that dynamic work?
I like to sit down with each cast member and talk through, you know, what they see for themselves, and then what I've sort of picked out for them. With the actors who care about watches it's a few emails back and forth first, and then we'll meet in person and actually try things on. Feeling them on their wrists. And that usually inspires something else, or, you know, shifts or we solidify, we say, this is good for this moment. But it can be from episode to episode.
There's chatter on the internet that Greg massively overpaid for that watch, that it's not worth the $40,000 he hands over. Is he being chiselled?
We played it that he was overpaying, for sure. But I think the other fun thing about the show is the way that people spend money is sort of all over the place, right? Just by saying, 'I've spent this much money on something', that makes it valuable. And especially for someone who's new into the world. Greg doesn't really know what price point things are at and what the value is. So that's another part of the joke.
There's a real sadness to the way they spend money sometimes. Like when Tom and Greg are alone in the VIP section of the nightclub, drinking their expensive vodka, but totally isolated. Are brands ever wary about being associated with that vacuous side of wealth? That empty spending?
They all understood the show. I always want to protect the brands that choose to work with us, because it's an honour. But I will say, they understand the show, they understand the comedy of it. And agreed knowing that comedy.
What's your approach to Shiv's watches?
She switches it up a bit. She's wearing the Cartier Panthère for season one and a white gold and a yellow gold one for season two. This season, we switched it up a little. Like what we were saying with Tom, they start off as a unit. And you see them with similar style, their watches, their movements, they check in, and then as things move on, you see them building their own spheres. It was nice to separate them, not have them both in Cartier, to open up a little bit what they're capable of. And the case shapes and profiles of the watches that we gave them, especially with Shiv, it was fun to get bolder.
