Charlie Chaplin in a photograph from Yves Debraine
Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is paying homage to film star Charlie Chaplin by supporting a soon-to-open museum dedicated to the actor’s final decades.
Chaplin’s World, which will open in April, focuses on the last 25 years of the Hollywood icon’s life, which he lived out in Switzerland. Jaeger-LeCoultre has a personal history with the star, making it a natural partner for the retrospective.
Recreating history
Chaplin’s World is positioned in Corsier-sur-Vevey, where the screen icon lived from 1952 to 1957 with his wife and eight children. The museum is designed by the Confino Agency and staged by Grévin, the brand behind a 133-year-old wax figure museum in Paris.
Within the Manoir de Ban, visitors will be able to view the Chaplin family in intimate scenarios. A Hollywood-style film set will recreate a number of the actor’s most well-known roles.
Chaplin’s World will hold an inauguration on April 16, 2016, the 127th anniversary of the actor’s birth. It will then open to the public the following day.
When Mr. Chaplin moved to Switzerland, the cantonal authorities gifted him with a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox watch engraved with a message of homage from the government.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox timepiece given to Charlie Chaplin
In 1972, the Swiss press photographers association bestowed on him the “Caméra souriante,” or smiling camera, award. The organization rewarded his kindness toward the media with an Atmos clock from the watchmaker.
Both the watch and the clock will be on display at Chaplin's World.
Jaeger-LeCoultre's connection to the Chaplin family extends further than as the gift of choice for the screen star.
Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is using a realistic approach in its new advertising campaign to connect with consumers on a more intimate level.
The “Open a Whole New World” campaign features a number of real-world individuals with careers in a wide variety of industries, including Carmen Chaplin, granddaughter of Mr. Chaplin and a film director herself. By sharing these personal stories, Jaeger-LeCoultre showed that its products are attainable and compatible with a many different lifestyles (see story).
Cinema is an enduring element of the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand, as the watchmaker celebrates the art form through collaborations, exhibits and sponsorships.
Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre showed its dedication to the cinematic arts with an initiative alongside New York’s Film Institute of Lincoln Center.
Last year, the third annual Filmmaker in Residence is Greek writer and director Athina Tsangari, who worked on her thriller/comedy “White Knuckles” during her time in New York. Jaeger-LeCoultre frequently aligns itself with the film world as a way of showing its own artistry (see story).