On a movie production, a propmaster is in charge of everything an actor handles during the filming of that movie. A prop is anything an actor uses on camera, such as a gun, knife, pen or watch.
As watches play more prominent roles in films, putting the right watches on the wrists of the main characters has become more important than ever before.
“The first step for me is to interpret the movie script and break it down into a list of the props we need for the film,” says propmaster Noel Cowell. “All the items on my list then need to be sourced or designed. In the case of a watch, I’ll have my own interpretation of what that watch would be, and then I will talk to the production designer. We are always narrowing it down to get a short list that we can then present to the director.”
The latest high profile watch he placed was in the Ridley Scott–helmed The Martian, starring Matt Damon. “In the case of The Martian, it’s an American hero story,” Cowell details. “We used Hamilton in the movie, but they weren’t the obvious choice—that would have been Omega with their Speedmaster Moonwatch. However, Hamilton has an iconic American branding, and their history in America is long and heroic, with their involvement in the First and Second World Wars, and with railroad watches. This fit
really well with the story that was in front of us.”
Often the use of watches in movies involves deal making and product placement, but that’s not something that Cowell concerns himself with. “I don’t choose the watches because of any deals, I choose the products I want,” he says. “After I have chosen the products, then the production company contacts the brands about deals.”
Cowell started out as a stagehand in the U.K., working backstage and hoisting scenery, then he worked at the BBC for ten years where he learned the props trade. After the BBC, he went freelance, opening up a whole new world for him in feature filmmaking.
“My work is fantastically varied,” he says. “I never know what the next project will be. Something set in the future gives me a lot more freedom, because making sure historical detail is accurate is one of the most important things we do, and we can do just about anything in the future.”
Cowell loves watches—he has a Cartier Roadster with a black face and an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. “I really love them,” he says. “I wear my watches to work. They are tough as old boots. I really like choosing watches for the movies, as it is completely character-driven. It’s satisfying when I get the right watch for a character, no matter whether anyone else notices. It’s a detail that I want to get right. The actors like that I am thinking about their characters. I care about each character’s back story, why he’s wearing a certain watch, the pen he uses, why he drives the cars he drives.””
—Keith W. Strandberg