Academy Award–winning actress Charlize Theron will be the “new face” worldwide of Swiss luxury-watch brand Raymond Weil, the company has announced. She begins Oct. 1, in an international advertising campaign featuring her, which will promote Raymond Weil “as one of the premier watchmakers in the world,” said the company.

“Charlize is the perfect ambassador for our timepieces, representing beauty, style, and perfection of function,” said Olivier Bernheim, president and chief executive officer.

Theron, named for her French father, was born in South Africa in 1975. She modeled in Europe and America before going into acting in the mid-1990s. Her films include That Thing You Do! (1996), Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Cider House Rules (1999), and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). She won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Monster (2003).

The Raymond Weil watch brand was created in 1976 by watch industry veteran Raymond Weil, who began his venture by traveling across Europe and around the world, with his first models in his pocket, building an international network. Today, the watches are sold in more than 80 countries, including the United States.

Weil, no longer involved in daily business, is chairman of the company, which remains a family-owned business. Bernheim, Weil’s son-in-law, has been with the company since 1982 and helped build it from its small beginnings into an international operation.

Most of its collections are named for classic musical works—such as Parsifal (its signature collection), Don Giovanni, and Othello—reflecting Weil’s love of classical music, the opera, and the arts. One of its newest collections is Tango.

JCK