American-Egyptian actor Rami Malek stars in new Pasha de Cartier campaign

The 'Bohemian Rhapsody' actor is one of five ambassadors for the brand's new Pasha watch

Actor Rami Malek stars in the new Cartier campaign. Courtesy Cartier

Rami Malek is one of the faces of Cartier’s new Pasha watch, which launched globally today.

The campaign for the new timepiece features five famous faces: actors Malek and Maisie Williams, and musicians Troye Sivan, Willow Smith and Jackson Wang, who have been hailed by the watch brand as "a new generation of creators who transcend preconceived ideas".

“We are thrilled to unveil this campaign and introduce these extraordinary talents to our diverse audiences around the world," said Arnaud Carrez, marketing and communication director at Cartier International.

"Cartier is a pioneering house, in constant creative exploration and strongly committed to coming up with innovative campaigns as well as collections that appeal to our diverse audiences."

Since its creation in 1985, the Pasha watch has evolved into a cult favourite. Challenging the predominance of round shapes in watchmaking, the Pasha de Cartier is characterised by its square filigree rail track set within a circular dial, while four bold numerals further contribute to its bold, contemporary aesthetic.

Available in 35 millimetre and 41mm, and in steel, gold, leather, diamond-set and skeleton movement versions, the latest iteration of the Pasha watch has interchangeable straps and a sapphire crystal case back.

One of the key design features of the Pasha de Cartier is its chained crown and, for the 2020 version, Cartier has equipped the winding crown, hidden under a fluted cover, with a blue spinel or sapphire. A new form of personalised engraving is also available, with initials appearing under the crown cover.

All versions of the Pasha strap are interchanged thanks to an adaptation of the Cartier-developed QuickSwitch system, which allows the bracelet length to be adjusted without the use of any tools.

The watch’s in-house movement, an 1847 MC automatic calibre,  can be viewed through the watch’s sapphire crystal case back.

The use of non-magnetic nickel phosphorus components, as well as a shield made of a paramagnetic alloy integrated into the case, allows the calibre to resist strong magnetic fields, while the watch is also water resistant to about 100 metres.

A year after winning the Best Actor Oscar for portraying Freddie Mercury in the film Bohemian Rhapsody, Malek arrived at February's Academy Awards sporting a vintage 1993 yellow gold Pasha timepiece, proving he was already a fan.

This campaign is not Malek's first time fronting for a high-end brand, either. The Mr Robot actor was the face of Saint Laurent's spring / summer 2020 collection.

He also previously fronted Dior Homme’s Spring 2017 campaign, alongside rapper A$AP Rocky and model Ernest Klimko.