Comments:
All in all, a very classic array of timepieces and cufflinks were chosen for this awards season and congratulations to all the winner and nominees of this year's Academy Awards.
*all photos are courtesy of Montblanc and the Montblanc website
But I was the volunteer seat filler. I sit in the seat when the recipient goes to pick up his Oscar. There are female seat fillers for the female award recipients.
Montblanc shines on the Red Carpet
Last night marked the 87th Annual Academy Awards, also known as The Oscars. This season brought many masterpieces such as American Sniper, Whiplash, and Foxcatcher, all nominees for Best Picture. As a long list of stars hit the Red Carpet, there was sight of Armani, Ralph Lauren, and Alexander McQueen. Among these fashion powerhouses were the glimpses of the many special cufflinks and timepieces from Montblanc.
Mark Ruffalo, Oscar Nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, wore the Heritage Chronometric Dual Time timepiece and the steel and pearl Creative cufflinks. In Foxcatcher, Ruffalo plays Dave Schultz, the older brother of the main character Mark Schultz, played by Channing Tatum, in a story about the mental and physical ups and downs of an aspiring world champion wrestler.
Mark Ruffalo with wife, Sunrise Coigney sporting the Heritage Chronometric Dual Time
Miles Teller wore the Perpetual Calendar timepiece and cufflink while representing the incredible movie Whiplash. He portrays a jazz student at the prestigious music school of Shaffer Conservatory. Teller joins the school with an amazing passion to play the drums and aspires to join the highly selective ensemble of Terence Fletcher, played by Oscar winner J. K. Simmons. This whirlwind of a movie brings the passion, fear, and determination of a young and talented musician and speaks to every young adults' memories of the struggle behind either giving up or rising up and pushing beyond the breaking point.
Miles Teller with fellow presenter, Margot Robbie, wearing the perpetual calendar.
Bradley Cooper, from the Clint Eastwood film American Sniper, was seen in Montblanc cufflinks while he walked the red carpet with his mother and girlfriend Suki Waterhouse. Cooper starred with Sienna Miller in a portrayal of the war veteran Chris and Taya Kyle. Documenting this Navy SEAL through his multiple tours in Iraq, Clint Eastwood pays homage to the famously titled "The Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History" in which he follows Chris Kyle's life at war and at home in Texas.
Bradley Cooper wearing Montblanc cufflinks and Salvatore Ferragamo
Also seen wearing Montblanc was presenter Josh Hutcherson, most recently known for his portrayal of Peeta Mellark in the hugely successful The Hunger Games franchise. He was seen sporting Montblanc stud set and cuff links.
Josh Hutchinson wearing Montblanc cufflinks with an Ermenegildo Zegna tux
Not only was Montblanc represented by the stars in front of the camera, the brand was also worn by the geniuses behind the creation of these films. Oscar Nominee for Writing Original Screenplay Dan Gilroy was seen in the Montblanc Timewalker Automatic Dual Time Special Edition timepiece. His film, Nightcrawler, shows a story of a poor news reporter played by Jake Gyllenhaal and his uncontrollable infatuation in capturing raw footage of crime scenes. His passion soon consumes him as he toys with the line of sanity and the legality.
To finish of the star-studded representation, Oscar Nominee for Best Director Morten Tyldum, for The Imitation Game, wore a Montblanc Star Classique with Black Dial and Black and Silver Iconic Bar cufflinks. The Imitation Game stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in the story of Alan Turing and the solving of the Enigma Code during World War II.
All in all, a very classic array of timepieces and cufflinks were chosen for this awards season and congratulations to all the winner and nominees of this year's Academy Awards.
*all photos are courtesy of Montblanc and the Montblanc website
Thanks for the report ampurist!
Thanks to you and Fx, I am now looking at my pics of the Heritage PC again LOL.
It's a really handsome and good value high complication watch.
Congrats to all Oscar winners!
Cheers
robin
Ahem, I was wearing that...
I was wearing the Villeret Orbis Terrarum that Villeret gifted me a working prototype at SIHH.
As a volunteer seat filler, we're not allowed to talk to the actors unless spoken to, but so many actors were looking at my watch that I almost slipped and started talking about watches!
Neil Patrick Harris...
was going around talking to the seat fillers!!
Anybody you were starstruck by???
Oops...
That's a joke for Amanico who was with me when we saw the special and latest Villeret watch from Montblanc when we were in Geneva together in January.
I didn't get to borrow the Montblanc watch (Montblanc was pretty attached to it) for more than a few minutes in Geneva. Nor did I volunteer to be a seat filler at the Oscars.
Hmm, I don't think I've ever been star struck. But I do get watch-struck and car-struck (I wasn't run over by a car, I was in awe after driving a car) and sometimes a work of art will awe-struck me. Hmm... I'm thinking of that Lamborghini Aventador that I spent 40 minutes driving in the summer of 2013. Amazing machine!
Cars & Watches, both for Gearheads
I suspect many share a common interest in mechanical things, with cars and watches being naturally complimentary. Like watches, one can invest in near-classic cars and hope they appreciate in value while you also enjoy using them.
Hi there, who is ampurist?
A moderator with 45 posts! Seems you have a marketing background, industry connection? You are not listed on the Purists Team page so I would love to know a bit more about your role...
Ampurist is our travelling journalist
who reports on interesting watch related events in NYC/LA.
Yes, this post is "legit" 
No, this is not an industry insider post/shill.
You'll just have to trust me when I say that she came with excellent references and credentials
Warmest, Mike
Or more correctly , freezing in Maine.
Thank-you but I'm still puzzled
I'm glad you went straight for the heart of my question with crystal clarity, thanks I have reviewed many of our OP's threads and find much interesting social and entertainment copy, but missed the critique that Purists, by tradition and definition, have brought to their discussions. Clearly times have changed around me :-0
I have reviewed many of our OP's threads and find much interesting social and entertainment copy, but missed the critique that Purists, by tradition and definition, have brought to their discussions. Clearly times have changed around me :-0
Yes!
We are getting old and the world is changing...
My initial answer was directed at the most superficial question.
Ampurist brings us event reports with a contemporary flair, with more style than I am able to ever produce.
But we can critique, in fact I think we have a responsibility to teach (and also learn) from all posters.
In this case, let's be honest, these types of social posts aren't my cup of tea. Neither are the event posts naming all the people attending different social activities in the guise of horological education. But I do understand that there are different cultural norms which make these types of posts more acceptable, even mandatory.
Montblanc actively promotes and highlights their celebrity ambassadors and their social activism. They do everything they can to maintain their luxury brand status. So this Oscar's report is "right up their alley". In the past, I've gotten flak for not posting events like this from corporate marketing types. At least the Academy awards is a Premier Event...you wouldn't believe the types of PR I've been sent for posting.
If you love Montblanc, then you have to put up with and accept this aspect of their marketing. I, being stuck at home with 4 small kids, never get out anymore to the theaters so at least I got some up to date entertainment information
Best, Mike
This message has been edited by mkt33 on 2015-02-24 16:18:45
Change is good...
Hi, Tick-Talk,
In case it wasn't obvious, the original post was mostly an event coverage, and a non-watch event at that.
Since you've taken upon yourself to look at AMPurist's past posting history, you should have seen her interview of Stephen Forsey; her track experience post on the automotive forum, etc as well as brand event coverage.
Being new and young, she's still cutting her eye teeth on the techo-nerd stuff like gear train depthing and escapement moments of inertia that make Ceeks (cool geeks) like you and me squeal in rapturous delight.
Critique here on PuristS, by tradition and definition, was engaged in by both admin, mods, AND THE COMMUNITY.
Please, engage away!
So, Tick-talk, what do you think of Eva Langoria's dress?
Personally, I liked it! Lots of in-house stitching...
Cheers,
TM
Ps: thanks in advance for helping acculturate a whole new generation of PuristS, in not only the whirly pointy shiny bits, but also in the CULTURE of PuristS, which always was, is, and will be polite, respectful, inclusive, and nurturing.
We seemed to be composing at the same time, Mike, and interestingly, wrote
Much the same thing.
Chapeau, old timer.
TM
Its a new World. Its a new Life. But I'm feeling good.
tick-talk,
As an 'Oldie', I have also seen the changes in the world.
We used to chug along on IBM PCs and dial up modems whilst being CRITICISED for posting too many photos that took up bandwidth.
Today, 85% of our readers are on iPads or smartphones. Our broadband 4G streams easily demand more pictures.
We still have the critique for technical reports; both brands and fans tell us that they appreciate it.
At the same time, all this social media and E-news malarkey tell us that a segment of potential enthusiasts want younger, punchy 'news'.
'ampurist' is a young, hip, female, travelling coast-to-coast, reporter currently engaging with that segment using multi-media channels.
Eventually, the topics may change from social to technical as her audience is 'habituated': slowly slowly catch your monkey.
Like Patek Philippe, we also pass on to the next generation..........
We tried to do it quietly but your eagle-eyes like Action-Man spotted it. I hope it does not scare the young 'uns away.
Regards,
MTF
This message has been edited by MTF on 2015-02-25 02:35:23
Hi tick-talk
Thank you for your feedback and commentary.
I am young and new at this and any heartfelt and constructive feedback offered in the interest of helping PuristsPro stay the best in our field is most appreciated.
I know I have much to learn and with the support and guidance of "old-timers" like you, I hope that I can rise to the standards set by my predecessors.
Sincerely,
ampurist
Greetings ampurist
Thank-you for this note. I'm not a curmudgeon (I hope) but there is an interesting evolution that needs to be discussed in the open without pressure to just accept it. Your predecessors, past moderators, came to the role as watch enthusiasts first and writers second. The move to favor wordsmiths first, and allow them to learn the subject matter on the fly, as it were, is worth noting. I realize that other forums have also adopted this strategy, but not under the label of "moderators", which has some history and implies in my view a level of expertise.
Another forum is more upfront in labeling their sponsored writers as "forum journalists" but I might even debate the "journalist" label. Is this a trite argument? Not to me, but others will have different opinions. Why is the word crafting more important than the subject matter? Why does it have a distinctly non-critical flavor, with watches often peripheral to social and status discussions? What are the long-term consequences; will forum success be measured (perhaps already is) by the number of views and not by the posts, by passive eyes and not active fingers? I sense that already most threads are started by moderators, to a schedule arranged by sponsors. My fear is that the forum concept is losing its participatory nature, evolving/devolving into another platform for marketing. That would be ironic as, "in the beginning", watch fora became popular as independent sources, seeing through the fog of hyperbole and filling the information void left by the brands.
I do most sincerely wish you all the best in this fantastic world of fine Swiss watchmaking, and please don't lose sight of your responsibility to the audience to add real value and tell the truth with all its nuances. Cheers