Arnold Schwarzenegger muscled his way into the Baselworld watch fair Friday to unveil his own brand of wristwatches, a business endeavor that may surprise fans of his movies more than aficionados of timepieces.
The Austria-born film star and former governor of California is introducing Schwarzenegger watches in partnership with Brazilian watchmaker Magnum Group. Three collections inspired by his careers in body-building, acting and politics are on show at the watch industry’s largest annual gathering through next week.
“We’ve been working on it for a year and a half, and finally Magnum came through with a lot of dedication and hard work,” the Terminator actor told a cheering crowd at Baselworld.
The new line is set to go on sale in September for $565 to $2,790, according to Sao Paulo-based Magnum Group, Brazil’s biggest watchmaker.
René Weber, an analyst at Bank Vontobel AG in Zurich, said he’s skeptical of the idea. “Swiss watches are timeless, and have a long-term story, but in 20 years, nobody will know who Arnold Schwarzenegger is. It makes sense to have celebrities advertising the brand, but for a celebrity to launch his own brand is a whole other story.”
