Will Ferrell’s red-carpet tricks for showing off your (sponsored) watch

On the red carpet at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, actor Will Ferrell struck a dynamic pose for the cameras. Resplendent in his snow-white tuxedo, he fixed the photographers with a steely glare before clenching his fist beneath his chin in a mock heroic manner. This wilfully absurd stance had one notable benefit: it displayed Ferrell’s watch – an Omega Seamaster Diver 300m “007 Edition” – in the most conspicuous possible way. Later that same week, at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the comedian was at it again, contorting his body into another goofy posture to highlight a modest Timex field watch.

Will Ferrell puts his Omega centre stage at the Golden Globes.Credit: Getty Images

What Ferrell was lampooning, I suspect, was the modern trend of actors going to farcically contrived lengths in order to flaunt their watches on the red carpet. The reason for this shameless pantomime is that product placement has become increasingly big business. Knowing a celebrity endorsement can fast-track brand recognition and sales, watch companies will happily pay for the privilege, doling out sponsorships or expensive freebies to seal their moment in the spotlight.

Roger Federer and the moves that expose his Rolex.Credit: Getty Images

Yet delivering this money shot isn’t always straightforward. The problem is that when worn with conventional male formal wear, a watch is invariably obscured by the celeb’s shirt or jacket cuff. Consequently, Hollywood stylists are forced to resort to sneaky workarounds. Strategies to expose more watch include tailoring a jacket sleeve a little shorter, commissioning a dress shirt with a wider cuff or simply loosening the watch strap so the watch falls closer to the hand. Some tactical choreography is also required. When mugging for the cameras, there’s a reason celebrities often pretend to adjust their cuff links or clasp their hands before their body with the left one angled slightly forward.

This charade isn’t limited to actors. As a long-term Rolex ambassador, Roger Federer mastered this sleight-of-hand with the skill of a Vegas magician. At press conferences, the tennis legend displayed an uncanny knack for edging his watch into prime view, regularly scratching his head or rubbing his face to draw extra attention to his wrist. Was it Federer’s Swiss heritage that fostered such watch-savvy awareness? Or the instinctive grasp of angles that informed his on-court wizardry? Either way, Federer manoeuvred his Rolex with the same guile and precision he deployed on his feather-light drop-shots. Tennis isn’t the only game he can play with effortless panache.

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