Cartier honors the timelessness of French chic in a new commercial featuring film stars Rami Malek and Catherine Deneuve.

The luxury conglomerate partnered with Paris-based ad agency Publicis Luxe to promote the return of Cartier’s classic Tank Française watch, first released in 1996. A one-minute commercial, directed by English filmmaker Guy Ritchie, leads the campaign, which debuted Jan. 17. 

The ad takes place in Paris on the Pont Alexandre III, an ornate arch bridge over the Seine. There’s a cool, jazzy beat in the background. Malek plays a sharply dressed filmmaker who is enthralled by Deneuve as she transforms into her past roles in Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Régis Wargnier’s Indochine and Nicole Garcia’s Place Vendôme. Malek’s film technology and Deneuve’s appearance change with time, but her elegance, the Seine’s serenity and a Tank Française wrist are constants.

The commercial evokes the beauty of Paris and the creative spirit of the French New Wave film movement of the 1950s and ’60s, which commonly featured Catherine Deneuve performances. 

The campaign also includes short interviews with Malek, Deneuve and Ritchie about their thoughts on French cinema and the Tank Française watch.

“An expression of the avant-garde, Cartier’s iconic Tank Française connects us to Paris and its creative freedom, an attribute captured so perfectly by the French New Wave and within the city itself,” a Cartier spokesperson said in a press release.

Publicis Luxe has partnered with Cartier on past projects, such as an ad for the Santos watch featuring actor Jake Gyllenhaal last May. The ad agency has also worked with designer brands Lancôme, Armani and Yves Saint Laurent, among others.