The Stars Aligned

Breitling believes in making an entrance, and who better than Brad Pitt to draw the limelight to its arrival in Mainland China. Charlene Co, still weak in the knees, recalls a surreal experience.

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It was the kind of party you’d fantasise about attending when you’re young— and then you grow up and realise you’re unlikely ever to rub shoulders with Brad Pitt at a black-tie event. When Breitling sent me an invitation to a lavish gala where one of the most desired male movie stars of the past three decades would be present, my inner teenager let out a scream of delight—and my adult self wasn’t far behind.

So it was with great excitement that I joined a crowd of 500 high-society watch fanciers late last year at Beijing’s breathtaking Phoenix Centre as Breitling—a Swiss watch manufacturer known for its prestigious, high-performance timepieces— announced its presence in China. The centre, already famous around the globe for its sweeping exterior and dramatic all-glass interior, looked particularly spectacular that night, lit entirely in Breitling blue and decorated to represent the sea, air and land. It had an almost other-worldly aura.

Actor Daniel Wu arrived looking dashing, along with surfer Sally Fitzgibbons and photographer and filmmaker Peter Lindbergh, joining myriad personalities from the worlds of fashion, high society, sport, music and film, including Japanese designer Motofumi “Poggy” Kogi and actors Shin Se-kyung, Qi Wei, and Li Zonghan.