"Actor's Watch" focuses on watches worn by actors in movies, television, etc.
This time, in the 148th issue, we will be looking at watches that appeared in "Infernal Affairs". " will be sent to you.
The "Infernal Affairs" series (2003-2005) depicts the strange fates of two men who are forced to become members of opposing organizations by order of their organizations: detective Yang ( Tony Leung ) who becomes a member of the mafia in order to conduct an undercover investigation, and mafia member Lau ( Andy Lau ) who becomes a police officer in order to inform the organization of the investigation.
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In Hong Kong, it surpassed major films such as " Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets " (2002) in box office revenue, and the Hollywood remake " The Departed " (2006) was the first remake to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and its story and worldview have captivated movie fans all over the world. It also has many fans in Japan, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of its release in Japan, and a 4K version of the film has been revived and shown in movie theaters nationwide since November 3rd.
This time, we would like to take a closer look at the watches worn in the Hong Kong noir masterpiece, the Infernal Affairs series.
Infernal Affairs Synopsis
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Hong Kong, 2002. Yang ( Tony Leung ) has been recognized for his abilities by his superior, Inspector Wong ( Anthony Wong ), and has abandoned his status as a detective to become a member of the mafia and conduct undercover investigations. Having become mentally ill from a series of dangerous investigations, Yang is looking forward to the day when he can return to his former role as a detective as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, mafia member Lau ( Andy Lau ), who had concealed his identity and become a police officer at the behest of underworld boss Sam ( Eric Tsang ) and was a spy who leaked investigative information to the organization, was steadily rising through the ranks within the police force.
One day, a big drug deal is foiled by a police raid, but the mafia members manage to outwit the police and escape. This incident makes Yang and Lau convinced that there is a spy in each of their organizations, and they begin to investigate to uncover his identity.
Tony Leung's Chronoswiss Tiger
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The role of undercover agent Yang, who is mentally ill and caught between good and evil and requires counseling from a psychiatrist ( Kelly Cheung ), is played by Tony Leung , a renowned actor known for his roles in films such as " Chungking Express" (1995) and " Red Cliff " (2008).
In this film, he wears a Chronoswiss Tiger Timezone (Ref. CH1323), given to him as a birthday present by his superior, Inspector Wong ( Anthony Wong ), who knows he is an undercover cop. Some fans have speculated that the fact that the Chronoswiss watch is a German-origin watch with a Swiss name on it represents a "police officer calling himself a mafia member," but what was the creator's intention?
Andy Lau's Chronoswiss Delphis
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The role of Lau, a mafia member who becomes a police informant on the orders of his boss but then leaves his past behind and begins to search for a way to live as a true elite police officer, is played by Andy Lau , a top star in the Hong Kong film industry, known for his roles in `` Wings of Sadism '' (1992) and `` The Great Wall '' (2016).
The watch he wears in the film is the Chronoswiss Delphys (Ref. CH1423) . It is an elegant and unique watch with a guilloche dial and jumping hour and retrograde minute hands. Like Tony Leung, this watch may represent the "Mafia posing as a police officer."
Edison Chen's Rolex Air-King
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The second film in the series, " Infernal Affairs " (2004), depicts how Yang and Lau become undercover investigators and police informants, respectively. The young Lau is played by Edison Chen, who is known for his role as Takahashi Ryosuke in " Initial D The Movie " (2005), also directed by Andrew Lau.
Before infiltrating the police academy, Lau assassinated his boss at the request of his superior's wife. With the large sum of money he was given as escape funds, the first thing he bought was a Rolex Air-King (Ref. 14000) , which he had longed for. The luxury watch serves as a prop that aptly represents Lau's ambition.
Carina Lau's Longines DolceVita
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In Infernal Affairs (2004), Carina Lau plays Marie, the wife of the boss whom Lau secretly has a crush on. In real life, she is also the wife of Tony Leung, who plays the lead role of Yang.
The watch she wears in the film, when she asks Lau to assassinate her boss at the time, triggering a major turn in the story, is the Longines DolceVita (Ref. L5.155.7.16.6 ) . Longines is the most widely loved luxury watch brand in China, and is so beloved by Chinese women that it is said that half of sales in China are for ladies' models. The role of the financially well-off mafia wife is expressed in a solid gold Longines.
Leon Lai's Chronoswiss Kairos Luna
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The third film in the series, " Infernal Affairs III: Ultimate Inferno," will be the final installment of the story. "The Great Passage" (2005). Lau erases his past as a mafia member and chooses to live as an honest police officer. The role of career police officer Yung, who Lau suspects of being a member of the mafia who has infiltrated the police force, is played by Leon Lai , a popular Hong Kong singer and actor.
In the film, he wears the same Chronoswiss Kairos Luna Triple Date (Ref. CH9323) as Yang and Lau. Whether this watch represents "the mafia posing as police officers" or is misleading will be something you'll have to enjoy while watching the film.
summary
What did you think.
The " Infernal Affairs " series is loved by movie fans around the world as a historical work of Hong Kong noir. Many luxury watches appear in the series, and you can see that they are used as props to bring out the charm of the characters. It is true that " wristwatches represent people ."
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It was said that with the return of Hong Kong to China, violent Hong Kong noir films like "Infernal Affairs" would no longer be made. However, in recent years, the crime suspense film " The Last Stand " (2023), starring Tony Leung and depicting a real-life corrupt police officer, has won many awards, and it is good news for fans of the genre that Hong Kong noir is gradually showing signs of a revival .
I hope that one day I will be able to see a Hong Kong noir film that surpasses " Infernal Affairs ," and I would like to continue watching Hong Kong films as I did in the old days.
see you!