“Officer Black Belt” is an action-comedy film directed by Jason Kim. The movie follows the story of a talented martial artist (Kim Woo-Bin) who teams up with a probation officer to combat crime as a martial arts officer.

Kim Woo-Bin opted for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph in Pink Gold, a masterpiece of horological artistry that combines traditional aesthetics with contemporary functionality. The sophisticated recto echoes the original Reverso while its open-worked verso is resolutely modern. The verso of the watch reconnects its sporty complication to the roots of fine watchmaking. The dials, consisting in two rings integrated to the calibre’s plate are finished in black for a perfect legibility, essential for a chronograph.

Born in Seoul, the actor enjoys tremendous popularity throughout Asia, having established a captivating presence in acclaimed television series and box-office hit movies in a variety of genres, from romantic comedy to drama and action films. Along with his passion for acting, he has been a Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassador since the beginning of 2021.

“We are honoured that Kim Woo-Bin made time in his demanding schedule to come and visit us at the Manufacture, our home in the Vallée de Joux”, says Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre. “As someone with great intellectual curiosity, he was fascinated to learn about our Maison’s history, and the direct insight he gained into the intricacies of watchmaking and his hands-on experience of the Atelier d’Antoine clearly left a deep impression.”

A short film, Behind the walls, traces Kim Woo-Bin’s day at the Manufacture, during which he explored the production workshops, discovered the Maison’s Heritage Gallery, and learnt about the skills mastered by the artisans of the Atelier des Métiers Rares, where he saw beautiful examples of how the blank case-back of a Reverso provides an ideal canvas for them to express their creativity. The actor completed his visit with a Reverso Discovery Workshop in the Atelier d’Antoine – learning the story of the remarkable swivelling watch since its birth in 1931 and, tutored by an expert from the Manufacture, assembling a Reverso case.

“Since first discovering mechanical watches I have been intrigued by their intricate mechanisms and curious to know how they are made – but this visit to the Manufacture was beyond anything I expected,” says Kim Woo-Bin. “Discovering so many different skills under one roof, the pleasure that the watchmakers took in explaining their work, their incredible precision, the expertise in decorative crafts that is handed down from one generation to the next – it was an amazing experience and has made me feel an even stronger attachment to the watches that I wear.”

The actor’s visit culminated with the presentation of a gift from the Manufacture of a Reverso watch, personalised with a special message engraved on the case-back that makes the watch uniquely his: “To Kim Woo-Bin – a memory to cherish forever – Jaeger-LeCoultre”.

“This watch is special to me in a way that no other timepiece can be,” says Kim Woo-Bin. “Every time I wear it, the words will remind me of a day that was truly exceptional, not only in terms of what I learnt but also for the spirit and passion of everyone I met in the Manufacture, who welcomed me with such warmth and kindness.”  

An immersive retrospective that leads visitors on a journey through nine decades of timeless modernity, Reverso Stories has previously welcomed thousands of visitors in Shanghai and Paris. It explores the creative and cultural universe of this exceptional timepiece and features a specially commissioned art installation by the American artist Michael Murphy, as well as many historic artefacts and a selection of milestone Reverso watches from the earliest time-only models to the ground-breaking Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185. The exhibition invites visitors to experience the story of Reverso through four different themes: its origins; style and design; innovation and craftsmanship.

After touring the exhibition, Kim Woo-Bin said: “It’s a great pleasure to discover the Reverso Stories exhibition in Seoul. It is a unique cultural experience and the way the story is told through four different themes brings it to life in a fascinating way. It’s very impressive to see so many archive materials and heritage documents that are rarely shown in public, as well as historic and modern Reverso watches.”

Seen in Korea for the first time, Michael Murphy’s installation Space Time is an enthralling rendition of the Reverso Nonantième that transports visitors through the three physical dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time. Another highlight of the exhibition is the 1931 Café, a chic setting designed in homage to the Art Deco origins of Reverso, which offers a special menu of sweets and cakes created exclusively for Jaeger-LeCoultre by the Parisian pastry chef Nina Métayer.

The “Reverso: Timeless Stories Since 1931” exhibition and the 1931 Café will be open from May 25^th to June 12^th on Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 8:30pm and on the weekend from 11:00am to 9:00pm at S FACTORY, 11 Yeonmujang 15-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 

The exhibition is free to the public, booking is recommended at THE REVERSO STORIES 전시회 서울 | Jaeger-LeCoultre (thereversostoriesseoul.com). Audio guides are available for the exhibition. 

In the video, Kim Woo-Bin is immersed in each of these environments in turn, wearing the new Polaris Perpetual Calendar, as he narrates an evocative text that reflects on concepts of perpetual movement and action – the eternal cycles and ever-changing sense of time, as expressed by the natural world.

Woven throughout, glimpses of different celestial bodies remind us that our sense of passing time, as well as its measurement by calendars, clocks and watches, is governed by the rhythms of the cosmos and the regular cycles of astronomical phenomena – a subtle link to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Stellar Odyssey.

“When we immerse ourselves in nature and really notice its rhythms, we understand time in a different way,” says Kim Woo-Bin. “And this understanding adds so much meaning to every watch that we wear – but especially the Polaris Perpetual Calendar, as it translates the rhythms of the celestial bodies into days, months and years.”

Keeping Perpetual Time

In 2022, Jaeger-LeCoultre has enriched its sporty-chic Polaris line with a perpetual calendar for the first time. Elegant and visually striking, the dial of the Polaris Perpetual Calendar is lacquered in a deep gradient-blue colour, taking its aesthetic cues from the Polaris Mariner Memovox with assertive hour indexes, skeletonised hands and slightly recessed subdials for the calendar displays.

With an emphasis on balance and legibility, the date, day and month indications are balanced by a moon-phase display at 6 o’clock – a pleasing reminder that calendars had their origins in astronomical phenomena.

For Kim Woo-Bin, the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Perpetual Calendar may be the ideal timepiece: “With life in this modern world moving so fast, it becomes all the more important to anchor ourselves in time,” he explains. “The Polaris Perpetual Calendar not only provides all of the information I need, but it can also adapt to any situation or environment with elegance.”

Thanks to the new in-house automatic movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 868AA, the classical Northern Hemisphere moon-phase display is complemented by a retrograde display of moon phases in the Southern Hemisphere. Enhancing the practical utility of the Polaris Perpetual Calendar, the new movement has an extended power reserve, offering 70 hours of autonomy. To complement the elegant and visually striking dial, the 42mm case is available in a choice of steel or pink gold, and features a ‘rapid-change’ attachment for the interchangeable straps. In addition to two straps offered with each watch – rubber and alligator with the pink gold model; rubber and a steel bracelet with the steel model – a range of calf leather straps enables wearers to easily personalise the watch and adapt it for every daily adventure.

The Sound Maker exhibition by Jaeger-LeCoultre opened at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul this Tuesday, 15th of June, in the presence of Kim Woo-Bin, a Friend of the Maison.

The Sound Maker exhibition immerses visitors in the creative and cultural universe of Jaeger-LeCoultre, exploring the uniquely rich heritage of chiming watches at La Grande Maison, and paying homage to its home in the Vallée de Joux.

The exhibition features a curated selection of the earliest and most historically significant of the Manufacture LeCoultre’s chiming masterworks, together with dozens of documents and archive materials – many of which have never been displayed to the public before. The journey begins with a unique heritage piece: the Music Box made by the founder, Antoine LeCoultre, and his father, that marked the beginning of La Grande Maison’s journey in chiming timepieces. As visitors tour the exhibition, they enjoy the evolution in both technical skill and artistic expression, from pocket watches to minute repeater wrist watches and the Memovox, along with special pieces from the Atelier des Métiers Rares® (Rare Handcrafts Workshop).

At the heart of the exhibition, a ‘Sound Sculpture’ installation commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre from the Swiss contemporary artist, Zimoun, is making its Korean debut. In this fascinating work, Zimoun encapsulates the universe of sound – within the Manufacture and in the natural world surrounding it – that is so intrinsic to the spirit of Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Zimoun employs simple raw materials and repurposed industrial components, including the small DC motors, thin wires, MDF panels, and metal discs that compose the watches of Jaeger-LeCoultre – and, in doing so, redefines traditional ideas of sculpture, movement and sound, drawing the audience into an almost transcendent world of sensory experience.

Acclaimed actor Kim Woo-Bin, a new Friend of Maison, joined in celebrating the opening of the exhibition and meeting with the press. “Throughout the exhibition, I could feel and experience the heritage of Jaeger-LeCoultre in a new way, and I was amazed by its beautiful timepieces”, he remarked after touring the exhibits.

Open to the public by reservation, The Sound Maker exhibition by Jaeger-LeCoultre is being held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the design and fashion hub of Seoul. Tickets may be reserved online, at http://www.thesoundmakerseoul.com. Tour guides are available in each zone of the exhibition to answer visitors’ questions, and full guided tours are also available, by application on the website. The exhibition runs until July 4^th; opening hours 10am to 7pm.

The Sound Maker exhibition will immerse visitors in the creative and cultural universe of Jaeger-LeCoultre, exploring the uniquely rich heritage – past, present and future – of chiming watches at La Grande Maison, and paying homage to its home in the Vallée de Joux.

Korean actor Kim Woo-Bin is popular throughout Asia, having established a captivating presence in acclaimed television series and box-office hit movies of various genres, from romantic comedy to drama to action films. Along with his passion for his acting career, the 31-year-old is intensely engaged in social contribution.

Jaeger-LeCoultre will be pleased to welcome Kim Woo-Bin to The Sound Maker Exhibition, taking place at DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), Seoul, starting from June 16th to July 4th.

BIOGRAPHY

Kim Woo-bin is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in the television drama, White Christmas in 2011. He subsequently gained attention in A Gentleman's Dignity (2012), and made his breakthrough with School 2013 (2012-2013) and The Heirs (2013). Kim later starred in box office hits Friend: The Great Legacy (2013), The Con Artists (2014) and Twenty (2015). In 2016, he took the leading role on television in Uncontrollably.

Kim Woo-bin will next be seen starring in Choi Dong-hun's new sci-fi film ‘Alien + People’ which tells the extraordinary story of time connected between Goryeo Dynasty where the old ascetics strive to obtain divine knife and the present, 2021 with Aliens.