(Photo credit: Rolex)
Now that Leonardo DiCaprio has officially joined Rolex as a brand ambassador, the question is whether he will play the kind of strategic teasing game Daniel Craig has mastered with Omega.
Less than a week before the Oscars, Rolex made waves Tuesday by announcing DiCaprio’s induction into the Rolex Family. As the award ceremony’s main sponsor this Sunday, Rolex has a golden opportunity to generate serious buzz if DiCaprio steps onto the red carpet — or even an after-party — sporting an unreleased Rolex. With Watches and Wonders less than five weeks away, a well-placed wrist shot could build anticipation.
Craig, a seasoned brand ambassador for Omega, has become known for subtly introducing timepieces before their official release. At the 2024 Governors Awards last November, he arrived wearing an unreleased bronze-gold Omega Seamaster Diver 300, setting collectors into a frenzy. The watch was officially released last week, validating months of speculation. (Craig did the same thing the year before with a white-dial Speedmaster.)
This strategy may be unlike Rolex. But Rolex CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour has made business moves that have often stunned the industry. DiCaprio is the most prominent actor the brand has had since Paul Newman.
Rolex’s sister brand Tudor has played the tease game, most recently with its turquoise Black Bay Chrono spotted on the wrists of David Beckham and Jay Chou before its official debut. That strategy is increasingly adopted by other brands to spark conversation.
DiCaprio’s Oscars attendance is still uncertain. He isn’t nominated, but Hollywood insiders suggest he’ll be there to support his longtime friend Adrien Brody, who’s vying for Best Actor in The Brutalist. If DiCaprio does show up, all eyes — and lenses — will be locked on his wrist.