IU named global ambassador for Jaeger-LeCoultre
South Korean artist IU becomes global ambassador for Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre, partnering through an exclusive interview series exploring craft and artistry.
Swiss luxury watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre has appointed South Korean singer and actor IU as its global brand ambassador, marking a significant partnership between the artist and the heritage manufacture.
The collaboration honours what both parties identify as shared creative philosophy. IU's career, characterised by deliberate artistic choices and meticulous attention to craft, mirrors Jaeger-LeCoultre's approach to horology. According to the brand, IU's commitment to authenticity, discipline and continuous refinement across music, film and performance aligns with the values the manufacture has upheld across centuries of watchmaking.
Jérôme Lambert, Chief Executive Officer of Jaeger-LeCoultre, remarked: "We are delighted to welcome IU to the Jaeger-LeCoultre family. Her authentic character, dedication to craft and refined elegance resonate deeply with the values our brand pursues. Through the interview series The Hour Before, we are proud to celebrate our shared passion for artistry, subtlety and the pursuit of lasting excellence."
The Hour Before: A Bridge Between Worlds
The partnership centres on an exclusive interview series titled The Hour Before, designed to explore the intersection of watchmaking craftsmanship and personal artistry. Rather than a conventional brand campaign, the series uses horology as a lens through which to examine IU's creative process, values and worldview.
Each conversation begins with concepts rooted in watch manufacture—precision, patience, invisible detail work—and naturally extends into discussions of memory, aesthetic sensibility, creative philosophy and the pursuit of perfection beyond public view. The format creates what the brand describes as a bridge between the technical world of the Swiss manufacture and IU's personal universe.
Shared Aesthetic
Both IU and Jaeger-LeCoultre are positioned around a philosophy of refined minimalism. The watchmaker is known for the iconic Reverso, a watch that epitomises modern elegance through restraint and timeless design. Similarly, IU's public persona and artistic trajectory reflect a commitment to understated sophistication—sustained through discipline, introspection and an unwillingness to chase momentary trends.
The brand notes that true excellence, in their shared view, resides in depth of values rather than surface spectacle; in redefining classical principles rather than following fashion; and in creating lasting emotional resonance through quiet, sophisticated beauty.
IU will also feature in an upcoming large-scale advertising campaign for the Reverso line.
