Zhang Ziyi Archives

Having just announced that Chinese mega star Zhang Ziyi has joined its roster of global ambassadors, Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre has launched a brand new watch with an intriguing complication related to another celestial body – a shooting star.

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Shooting Star takes as its inspiration the seemingly random and mysterious appearance of shooting stars, which are only visible in our atmosphere at certain times of the year and only when conditions are just right. Streaking across the sky and vanishing within moments, these heavenly occurrences have long stirred our human imaginations – simultaneously regarded as potent symbols of good fortune, bad luck, romance, divine intervention, transcendence, fate, impermanence and hope. Comets and shooting stars can be seen streaking across the ancient Bayeux Tapestry, which dates from the 11th century, and the 15th century Nuremberg Chronicle. Shakespeare described them as “importing change of times and states”, while the noted Victorian astronomer, Richard Anthony Proctor, dubbed them “flowers of the sky”.

Now, the ethereal magic of shooting stars has been translated into a precious time-teller, thanks to an innovative new complication developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre, which allows a precious ‘shooting star’ to appear, seemingly at random, across an intricate mother-of-pearl and diamond-set sky on a watch dial.

Comprised of 335 individual parts, the maker’s complex new in-house automatic calibre 734 is responsible for incorporating this ‘shooting star’ mechanism – allowing what appears to be a random cosmic event to occur within the ever-precise and mathematically calibrated world of horology. When activated the calibre causes a disc bearing the laser-cut silhouette of a shooting star to whizz around the dial, echoing the way a comet streaks across the night sky.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous with Zhang Ziyi — Actress Zhang Ziyi is the face of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous

Two iterations of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Shooting Star will contain the new calibre 734, each available in a limited series of only ten pieces. Both are encased in 18k pink gold, with one bearing a hand-painted miniature pink peony blooming across its dial and a total of 625 brilliant cut diamonds (including within its bracelet), the other featuring a blue hand-painted lacquer peony, a coordinating blue alligator leather strap and 189 brilliant-cut diamonds set into its case and dial.

A new campaign featuring Zhang Ziyi accompanies these glittering timepieces, uniting these celestial-themed watches with the brightest new star in the Jaeger-LeCoultre universe.

Like this? Learn more about Jaeger-LeCoultre’s talented new ambassador

Subscribe to our newsletter

Jaeger-LeCoultre certainly has form when it comes to picking elegant ambassadors. The Swiss watchmaker has already aligned itself with rock star Lenny Kravitz; ‘Superman‘ and ‘Nosferatu‘ star Nicholas Hoult, and actors Amanda Seyfried, Jackson Yee, and Kim Woo-Bin. Now, the brand has just announced its newest global ambassador is none other than Chinese mega star, Zhang Ziyi.

Zhang Ziyi for Jaeger LeCoultre — International actress Zhang Ziyi is the latest face of Jaeger LeCoultre

Renowned for her natural grace and poise, Beijing-born Ziyi began studying dance at the age of eight and later attended at the Beijing Dance Academy, where she specialised in folk dancing. At just 15, an ambitious Ziyi won a national dance competition and began appearing in TV commercials, then successfully enrolled in China’s prestigious Central Drama College to begin her formal training as an actor.

Whilst still at college, Ziyi was spotted by the director Zhang Yimou (of ‘Raise the Red Lantern‘ and ‘Hero‘ fame) who was at the college scouting for a shampoo advert. While Ziyi didn’t make the cut for the commercial, Yimou later cast her in his 1999 film, ‘The Road Home‘. “I needed a completely fresh person for the central role, of a girl falling for a teacher. I cast her. She couldn’t act very well at first, but she learns fast,” he later recalled to The Belfast Telegraph.

In fact, Ziyi’s startling debut as a wide-eyed country girl, Zhao Di, brought her international acclaim, and the following year Yimou recommended the young actress to legendary filmmaker Ang Lee, who gave her the role of an adventurous young aristocrat named Jen in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘. The blockbuster success of that movie – which garnered four Oscars and remains the highest grossing international film in the United States to this day – catapulted Ziyi into the global spotlight. Parts in 2001’s ‘Rush Hour 2‘, 2002’s ‘Hero‘, 2004’s ‘House of Flying Daggers‘ and 2005’s ‘Memoirs of a Geisha‘ quickly followed – the latter earning her a Golden Globe Award. The star has been working steadily ever since, and her latest role sees her fronting 192-year-old Jaeger-LeCoultre as part of its growing roster of international ambassadors.

“We are honoured to welcome Zhang Ziyi to the Jaeger-LeCoultre family,” says Jérôme Lambert, the watchmaker’s CEO. “Her exceptional talent, her dedication to her art, and her timeless elegance resonate perfectly with the values of our Maison. We believe this partnership will beautifully showcase the shared spirit of artistry, heritage, and enduring excellence that defines both Zhang Ziyi and Jaeger-LeCoultre.”

Like this? Take a closer look at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Nicholas Hoult wore to a Superman fan event.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Tag: Zhang Ziyi

Jaeger-LeCoultre launches new Rendez-Vous Shooting Star watch

Zhang Ziyi signs as a new ambassador for Jaeger-LeCoultre