(Photo: Tudor)
In this part of the world, Jay Chou is as big as a pop star can get. But he reassures us that his appeal extends well beyond Asia. The multiple hats he wears – singer, songwriter, director, actor and philanthropist (is there anything he can’t do?) – as well as a stable of other exceptional talents, we’re sure, are precisely the reasons Tudor made him its latest brand and #BornToDare campaign ambassador.
It’s not wrong to say that Chou has an extraordinary melodic gift – he plays the guitar, cello, violin, and most famously, the piano. And he plays them adroitly. He’s also a versatile musician who ventures far from his comfort zone, having founded his own record company in 2007, JVR Music, which spearheaded the cross-cultural fusion of R&B and electronic music with Asian pop music. His songs, which are authentic, intimate, and never confined to the spheres of melody and rhythm, have cemented his reputation as an avant-gardist, an inventor of a sui generis sound.
These days, Chou’s fascination with fashion and watches have come to saturate his aesthetic. Here, the modish singer wears the new TUDOR 1926, a highly refined while understated mechanical timepiece that combines traditional horology and contemporary watchmaking.
Chou’s voice has become one of the most recognisable instruments in pop music – his distinct sartorial sense and pioneering creativity, like Tudor, may just turn him into a style icon too.
