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In his own words
Russell Crowe on his own TikTok account, filmed in Barcelona before handing the watches out to the cast of The Last Druid. Nobody asked him to make it.
It started with an email I almost deleted.
Someone asked whether I could ship thirty watches to Spain before the end of the month, provided the order was placed immediately. I have been building Söner for ten years, mostly on my own, and when an email like that lands in the middle of an ordinary workday the first honest thought is that it has to be a scam. Someone seeing whether I will take the bait.
So I did what anyone would do. I googled the sender before replying.
After a few emails back and forth it became clear it was not a scam at all. The sender was Russell Crowe's personal assistant.
Shortly afterwards an order for thirty watches, across several different models, was ready to ship to the crew behind his new film, The Last Druid, currently in production in Barcelona.
A few days later Russell posted the video above. Nobody asked him to. Within days it had passed 700,000 views.
What happened
- The order: 30 watches, across several different models
- Where: Shipped to Barcelona, where The Last Druid is filming
- Who for: The cast and crew
- What followed: An unpaid, unprompted TikTok video that passed 1000,000 views in a matter of days
How it happened
As far as I understand it, Russell had read an article about Söner, most likely the one The New York Times published in February 2025. Around the same time he had seen a TikTok clip where two watch enthusiasts talked briefly about the watches. Two paths crossed, and he decided to reach out.
Russell is well known for a genuine interest in watches. He runs his own TikTok account, @igp366, where he shows his collection and talks horology with his followers, often with more knowledge and enthusiasm than people I have met who work in the industry. He is also known for backing independent makers rather than only appearing alongside the established names.
That is the part that matters most to me. Not the Oscar, not Gladiator. The fact that he genuinely knows watches, and chose to give his attention to a small family business in Halland.
I have followed him on TikTok for a while and the impression is of someone grounded and unpretentious, a decent person and a good parent. That is the kind of recognition I value most.
Why Söner exists
I started Söner ten years ago and named it after my two sons, William and Widar. No outside funding, no investors, just a stubborn belief that somebody ought to make rectangular watches properly again.
The market was, and still is, flooded with round watches. Our designs draw on Art Deco and mid-century design instead, and every model is built to stand alongside names like Cartier, Longines and Breguet, with stronger specifications at a price people can actually pay. If you want the long version of that argument, it is in our definitive guide to rectangular watches.
That approach had brought some recognition before this happened. The New York Times ran a feature. We won the German Design Award 2026 for Excellent Product Design in Luxury Goods.
But awards and headlines were never the point. The point has always been to build something my sons can take over one day when I am no longer here. Something carrying my name and theirs, that outlasts me.
So when someone like Russell Crowe picks up one of the watches and talks about it without being asked, it is not just good news. It is a reminder of why I started in the first place.
— Freddie Palmgren, Founder of Söner Watches
Söner is the only watch brand in the world dedicated exclusively to rectangular and square watches. Swiss movements, hardened steel, sapphire crystal. Free shipping worldwide with duties included, free 30-day returns, and a 10-year international warranty.
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