Great watch wearers: Natalie Portman

Ever since she came to attention as Mathilda, a hitman’s protege, in 1994’s Léon, Natalie Portman has owned every screen she’s graced. However, what’s less well known is her love of watches – and her practice of wearing classic timepieces in her films.

Since 2011, Portman has been a brand ambassador for Richard Mille, wearing its ultra-luxe timepieces at film premieres and public events. But it’s with Richard Mille’s extraordinary Tourbillon RM 19-01 Natalie Portman collaboration that the relationship has been cemented.

This is no ordinary timepiece. It boasts a diamond- set spider that stretches across the skeletonised dial, while the brand’s tripartite tonneau-shaped case is crafted from white gold and covered in pavé-set diamonds. According to MyWatchsite: “The spider within the movement, also in 18K white gold and delicately set with diamonds, forms an integral part of the movement, with the abdomen of the spider supporting the bridges of the tourbillon and its legs supporting the two winding barrels.” It retails just short of £500,000.

Portman has showcased other fine watches away from Richard Mille, though not the obvious ‘grail’ pieces you might expect.

In Lucy In The Sky, Portman plays Lucy, an astronaut who returns to Earth to find she can no longer cope with life on Earth. On her wrist, she wears a 1998 Omega Speedmaster X-33 – the brand’s modern version of the original Moonwatch. Powered by a multi-function quartz movement (with a titanium case and kevlar strap), it boasts an analogue, digital orientation with an LCD display beneath the hands.

The watch was five years in development and designed for a possible expedition to Mars, and NASA – a long-time partner of Omega – gave one to every astronaut from 1998.

Another hit for Portman was Jackie, a biopic of Jaqueline Kennedy. As well as her pitch-perfect portrayal, Portman’s wardrobe was exemplary – from the Chanel two-pieces Kennedy made famous to her oval-shaped Piaget gold watch. However, while the timepiece did belong to Jackie Kennedy, it was incorrect for the period in which the film was set – just after John F Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. Portman’s watch was a quartz model – made in 1971, eight years after her husband’s death.

For most film buffs, Natalie Portman is one of the world’s most accomplished actresses. But for watch lovers, her championing of exceptional timepieces elevates her from mere celebrity to horological connoisseur. Welcome to the club, Natalie!