To put it politely, the Master Homeline is a really…. The logo, date window and power reserve are all out of place and it makes the watch look uncomfortable and tired, just like Michael Clayton.
The Homeline is perfect for Clayton, a man driving the company Mercedes and tired of the work he has to do but who still wears expensive suits and watches despite his money problems.
Are they rich or poor? Do they prefer modern or classical styles? TV shows get more time to develop characters over the course of many episodes and seasons, and if done correctly, the choice of watch can represent the change a character undergoes.
Mad Men is an absolute gold mine for anyone looking to spot vintage watches and is a perfect example of watches being an extension of character. I will fight anyone who disagrees with me but later his wife gifts him a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, then after a messy divorce, he stops wearing the Reverso in favor of a Rolex Explorer and then finally buys an Omega Seamaster De Ville.
His changing watch collection reflects his position at home and in his career. So the Reverso he wears has the Jaeger-LeCoultre name removed in favor of a blank line. The change was made for contractual reasons, but it makes perfect sense for a man like Thomas Crown, a risk-taking art-thief bored with his own wealth, to own a watch that is different that anyone else. I vividly recall the Omega he wore. Back in , it would have been equally appropriate for Bond to have worn either a Rolex or an Omega, as both companies supplied watches to military forces around the world but in , Rolex is more associated with a luxury lifestyle whilst Omega continue to supply watches to the British SAS and SBS.
