Watches are without a doubt luxurious collectables. Meticulously crafted and mesmerising in both beauty and construction, watches are worn by people from all walks of life. Rather than simply telling time, these mechanical marvels which sit on our wrists emanate the very personalities we hope to present to those around us. We often find the most influential of time pieces in the possessions of those we look up to. I speak of course of those shining stars we see on the silver screen or listen to on the radio. I speak of celebrities, the epitome of influence in modern society. So what watches do celebrities wear? In this article we look at some of our favourite timepieces, adorned on the wrists of our favourite celebrities.
Jake Gyllenhaal – Santos de Cartier
Exposed to the world of filmmaking from a young age, Jake Gyllenhaal, born Jacob Gyllenhaal was destined for the big screen. Starring in movies such as Jarhead, Brokeback Mountain, Nightcrawler, Zodiac and many more, the actor is known to play a myriad of roles.
As an ambassador to the Cartier Santos, Jake is often seen sporting the watch. He was actually chosen by the French jewellery brand to be the face for a new campaign they were launching. Approached because they felt he personified the appropriate traits they were looking for as the face of the watch, Gyllenhaal embodies a bold and fearless personality.
In terms of design, the Cartier Santos pulls no punches. With an iconic case and dial, the Santos embodies what I would call the essence of innovation. The original Santos was the first watch to be designed for the wrist. Before that pocket watches were the norm. With it’s robust square case, people would definitely take a second look at, if not a third. On the inside, the watch houses a Cartier in-house manufactured caliber 1847MC which has a 48 hour power reserve.
Ed Sheeran – Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726A.
Who better to boast an extensively extravagant watch collection than a multiple Grammy award-winning musician. I am referring, of course, to Ed Sheeran. The English singer-songwriter started his collection at the age of 20, as his career had just started taking off. Before that, the man had not been into watches in any way nor did he think he ever would.
Like most of us, it just takes that one right watch to ignite the fire within, turning it into an inextinguishable passion. For Sheeran, it was his Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726A. Having received it as a gift of gratitude for doing a gig at a friend’s daughter’s bat mitzvah, the watch is responsible for pushing Ed into the deep rabbit hole that is horology.
Bearing the ever popular porthole design seen on all the Nautilus designs of Patek Philippe, the 5726A balances style with functionality. Anyone could fall in love with a watch like this and Ed Sheeran himself isn’t impervious to it’s charms.
George Clooney – Omega Speedmaster Moonshine Gold
If we’re talking about brand loyalty, look no further than at seasoned Hollywood veteran, George Clooney. He is one of the celebrities most often mentioned along side watches. As a brand ambassador, it’s plain to see that the multiple award winning actor/producer/director is also a fan of the brand.
Omega is famous for, amongst other things, for it’s ‘Moon Watch’, the Omega Speedmaster. Being the watch that astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wore when they took the first steps on the Moon. It was then that the Speedmaster solidified it’s place in the hall of watch fame. Upon their return to Earth, they were presented with special gold versions of their NASA issued watch.
However, it’s not until 50 years later that Omega decided to recreate those gold watches. Having produced an extremely limited amount of just over 1000 pieces, one belongs to George Clooney himself. Resembling the glow of the moon, the watch is definitely one which hardcore collectors would have their eyes on.
Benedict Cumberbatch – Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual
Since he shot to prominence for his role in the BBC/PBS Television series, Sherlock Holmes in 2010, English actor Benedict Cumberbatch has attained numerous awards and accolades under his belt. Known for his often posh and intelligent character roles, many began to see Cumberbatch as the quintessential British gentleman.
As such, it seems only fitting that this baritone voiced upper-class-esque figure would be an ambassador for a watch brand such as Jaeger LeCoultre. Known for their brilliantly complicated yet elegant timepieces, Jaeger LeCoultre, or JLC as I shall refer to them from here on, is a watch brand with a deep and rich history in the world of horology.
One of the biggest names in the market, JLC is known for many of the watches that the community love. This includes the Reverso, the Duometre, the Geophysic and of course, the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual.
Cumberbatch has been seen sporting the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual on numerous occasion. It’s even the watch worn by the titular character in Marvel’s Doctor Strange. Implied by it’s name, the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual is thin and contains a perpetual calendar within it’s 39mm case.
Brad Pitt – Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition
Celebrating the partnership between watch brand Breitling and Motorcycle manufacturer, Norton, the Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition is the watch of choice for Hollywood A-Lister, Brad Pitt. The motorcycle enthusiast, who is on of the ambassadors for the brand, is often seen wearing the watch. Encased in it’s 42mm stainless steel case is the Breitling Manufacture Caliber 01 which has am impressive 70-hour power reserve.
Design-wise, it is basically a different colour combination of the original Breitling Premier Chronograph with subtle hints of Norton’s branding. With a reverse panda dial and gold Arabic numerals and hands, the face of the watch certainly stand out and pops but not in an overly avant-garde sort of way. The clear case back also has a Norton motorcycle imprinted on it. This is a cool feature to those who are into the motorcycle brand or are avid collectors of unique timepieces.
Wrapping Things Up…
With modern society putting celebrities at the forefront in the latest and upcoming trends, it’s great to see that some of our favourite stars possess an exquisite taste in watches. From personality defining pieces, to brand loyalty and finally to meaningful and personal watches, a timepiece is to it’s wearer an expression of who he or she is. With this in mind, we should always wear or watches proudly and with a smile. If you have interest in learning more about watches, how about checking out my article on the anatomy of a watch.
you guys should also do stand up comedians and their watches! they’re super easy to spot since they use the same hand to hold the mic!
That is a great idea Wren! Will definitely write about this in the future!