Amid the chaos of New York Fashion Week, on the corner of White Street and Broadway, up three flights of stairs, I discovered Quarters—a 19th-century Tribeca loft converted into a sultry concept-and-furniture store that serves a crisp white Negroni. There, on an Adriano Piazzesi sofa, sat Henry Cavill, Longines’s ambassador of elegance. Exceeding expectations, the British actor wore a double-breasted pinstripe blazer, wide-leg ivory trousers, and the Longines Chrono Monopusher to ring in the launch of the Swiss watchmaker’s Master Collection.

Before the evening’s celebrations began—a panel with Cavill moderated by Esquire‘s Madison Vain, an on-site Longines watchmaker, and a who’s who of the watch world—I spoke with the Man of Steel actor about everything from his partnership with the luxury watch brand to his personal style, be it selecting a wristwatch or landing on an airport outfit.

Much like the Master Collection itself—which was first introduced over 20 years ago and now features new three-hand models, moonphase chronographs, and a monopusher chronograph (a first for the collection)—Cavill drew on Longines’s long history of elegance and craftsmanship, revealing his affection for vintage timepieces. “I have an inclination toward more vintage heritage pieces. My favorite Longines, before this collection even came out, was the rose gold Master Collection GMT. It’s an absolutely stunning watch, so when [the new Longines Master Collection] came out, this is the kind of thing that I like. It ties into that traditional elegance of Longines,” Cavill told me.