Henry Cavill is known for playing powerful roles on screen—from Superman to Geralt of Rivia—but in real life, the 42-year-old actor has found joy in something smaller and more refined: wristwatches. Recently, he became the face of the Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925, a tribute to the original dual-time-zone watch.
“I’m wearing one right now,” Cavill told Esquire in a recent interview. “I can’t stop looking at it. To be an ambassador for Longines—and especially for this watch—is an honor.”
Cavill was named a Longines ambassador in February. Not long after, he visited the company’s headquarters in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. The trip sparked a newfound passion. “This is a fairly new discovery for me,” he said. “But when I saw the craftsmanship and technology behind these watches, it felt like magic.”
The watch Cavill now wears daily is a modern version of Longines’ Spirit Zulu Time, with a 39mm steel case and an 18-karat rose-gold bezel. It commemorates 100 years since the creation of the first Zulu Time watch. The term “Zulu” refers to Coordinated Universal Time, used as a reference point for time zones across the globe.
“It speaks to my love of adventure,” Cavill said. “They were doing things at a time when travel was dangerous. A few seconds off could mean life or death. As a proud Brit, it’s lovely to wear something tied to when Britain was the center of the world.”
Two features of the watch stand out to him. One is a hidden 1925 date stamp, visible only under certain light. “It’s not flashy,” he said. “It’s subtle.” The other is the rose-gold bezel that honors the Prime Meridian at London’s Royal Observatory, once marked by a brass strip.
Cavill described the watch as “fabulous” and said it grows more appealing every time he checks the time. He first tried it during his visit to Saint-Imier, which he took with his brother. Surrounded by the Swiss Alps, Cavill was struck by the quiet beauty of the region and the intense precision of watchmaking.
That visit reminded him of another hobby: Warhammer 40,000. A long-time fan of the tabletop game, Cavill is now helping develop it for film and TV through Amazon Studios. He noted that both hobbies require the same steady hand and attention to detail.
“Working with those small tools and parts felt natural,” Cavill said. “I wish they’d let me stay longer—I could’ve done it all day.”
As for his Warhammer project, Cavill said it has been both rewarding and challenging. “It’s different from anything I’ve done before. I’ve never had this level of control, and it’s exciting. The world of Warhammer is complex, and I’m enjoying the challenge of doing it justice.”
For now, when he needs to relax, Cavill simply looks at his wrist. “It reminds me of my brother and that trip to Saint-Imier,” he said. “It’s details like that which make a timepiece truly personal.”