Time may be on Charlize Theron's side. Timepieces, not so much.
The Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the Oscar-winning actor in New York State Supreme Court Monday, alleging she violated terms of her spokesperson deal by wearing rival jewelers' wares to public events.
In May 2005, Theron signed a 14-month deal with the company, promising that, between October 2005 and December 2006, her wrist would be the sole provenance of Raymond Weil, according to court papers obtained by E! News.
There was no immediate comment from Theron's camp.
Per the suit, the contract made clear that the 31-year-old Monster star could choose her own earrings, necklaces and other jewelry for public events, but Theron agreed to only wear watches made by Weil. She would allow photographs taken of her donning the luxury timepieces to appear in the company's advertising campaign in exchange for what court documents deemed "very substantial sums," the suit states.
"Additionally, artist hereby agrees that during the term she shall not endorse or advertise watches or other jewelry for any other person, entity or company," the lawsuit quotes the contract. "Furthermore, artist agrees that she will not endorse or advertise watches or jewelry for any other person, entity or company, including for charity."
The rub, according Weil, is that about the same she inked her watch deal, Theron began shilling for Christian Dior, serving as the spokesmodel for the designer's J'Adore perfume—and wearing several of the French fashion house's baubles, including timepieces, in the process.
While attending a press conference at an Austin film festival in March, Theron was photographed wearing a timepiece from the Dior line, a picture that subsequently appeared in the watch trade publication Tourneau Times under the headline "The Watches Your Favorite Celebs Are Wearing," with the caption "Charlize Theron wears Dior."
Oops.
In another instance of what Raymond Weil calls "total disregard" by Theron to abide by the terms of her contract, the South African native appeared in an advertisement benefiting an AIDS charity while donning a necklace made by, well, not Raymond Weil.
In early April, Theron lent her name and image to Montblanc, appearing draped in the venerable designer's jewelry on a large Geneva billboard stationed outside the company headquarters, the suit states.
While Raymond Weil has not specified how much financial compensation they're seeking from Theron, they have asked for damages, repayment of salary for her ad campaign and the fees she pocketed for wearing their competitors' charms.