The time has come for Jaeger-LeCoultre to welcome a famous actor into the fold.

Omar Sy has joined the luxury watchmaker as a friend of the house. The star of Lupin, The Intouchables, Jurassic World and X-Men: Days of Future Past debuts in a new campaign and series titled The Hour Before, which is “dedicated to the often-unseen moments that precede defining achievements” such as a breakthrough role, a standing ovation or a turning point in one’s career.

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Sy knows the value of those moments as the French actor slowly built a career for years before breaking out in a big with his role opposite Francois Cluzet in Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano’s The Intouchables in 2011, a performance that earned him a César Award.

“In the beginning, performing was about joy. I loved making people laugh. Then I started to realize that stories could connect people from very different backgrounds,” Sy explained in an interview with Jaeger-LeCoultre. “When I saw audiences reacting emotionally – not just laughing, but recognizing themselves in a character – I understood that acting could have a deeper impact. That was when it became more than a job or an ambition. It became something meaningful.”

The appointment is a natural one as Sy has long admired watchmaking and Jaeger-LeCoultre’s attention to detail. “For me, a watch is more than an accessory, it reflects a relationship with time, with discipline and with personal expression. I’ve always appreciated pieces that carry meaning through their design and craftsmanship. With Jaeger-LeCoultre, there is this quiet excellence and attention to detail that speaks without needing to be loud. That balance of tradition and innovation really resonates with who I am and how I approach my work,” he said.

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Jérôme Lambert, CEO of JaegerLeCoultre, noted that approach to his work and a few other personal attributes in commenting on Sy’s appointment. “With his commitment to his craft, his quiet confidence and his distinctive and constantly evolving style, Omar Sy epitomizes our maison’s values and aesthetics,” Lambert noted. “Through The Hour Before, we are pleased to highlight this partnership, which feels very natural and we are delighted that he has chosen to represent us.”

Sy next stars in a new season of Lupin, Dumas: Black Devil, a biopic about France’s first black military general, followed by Mercenary, an action-spy series produced by AGBO, the studio founded by the Russo Brothers.

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