The 18 Best Watches at the Oscars
The Academy Awards have long been Hollywood’s biggest night, and with that distinction comes the expectation of a certain level of pomp and circumstance on its red carpet. Gowns are grander, tuxedos are sleeker, the jewelry has more sparkle. Everything is pressed, polished, and amplified.
This year’s Oscars red carpet had just as much opulence as its predecessors. But on the wrist, watches showed an uncharacteristic level of variety. Instead of sticking with the tradition of a classic dress watchDress WatchA slim, understated timepiece designed to slip beneath a shirt cuff, with a simple dial and a leather strap or fine bracelet. The dress watch emphasizes elegance over function, andGo to Dress Watch Glossary (known for its leather strap, clean dial, elegant numerals, and slim design), many attendees opted for a little something extra as a reflection of personal style.
The trend echoes the timepieces that have been walking the red carpet all season, starting with the bevy of “look-at-me” watches at the Golden Globes. At the Oscars, this trend expanded, reflecting an even broader sense of creativity and personal style, both on the wrist and in head to toe looks. That meant something as simple as a metal bracelet or the round-but-not-round shape of Gabriel Leone’s Bulgari Octo Roma. It could be an unexpected complicationComplicationAny function on a mechanical watch beyond telling the hours, minutes, and seconds, such as a calendar, chronograph, moon phase, or tourbillon. Complications demonstrate a watchmaker's technical skill, and moreGo to Complication Glossary, as seen in Timothée Chalamet’s Urban Jürgense’s UJ-2, with its double-wheel natural escapement, or Kumail Nanjiani’s Vacheron Constantin Overseas, done in rose gold with an ultra-slim tourbillon skeleton.
Personal style also took center stage in design; take Ryan Coogler’s Cartier Tank à Guichets with its ticket-window aperture, an archival revival that was one of the biggest debuts of the past year. Michael B. Jordan continued to show his inclination for vintage pieces with a Piaget Protocole from the ‘70s. Shaboozey’s Chopard L’Heure du Diamont ticked the full-on, diamond-studded box, while Hudson Williams, Pedro Pascal and Usher all wore timepieces that are categorized for and typically worn by women.
Here, a closer look at the variety of watches on the Oscars red carpet this year.
1. Ryan Coogler’s Cartier Tank à Guichets
It’s fitting that a director known for his unconventional approach to Hollywood would choose Cartier’s Tank à Guichets, an archival design from the brand that was revived again last year with a twist. His limited-edition platinum version took the original layout and rotated it for a new spin on the design. “Guichets” is French for the type of ticket window that would sell movie tickets — even more apropos for the box office success of “Sinners.”
2. Timothée Chalament’s Urban Jürgensen’s UJ-2
The Marty Supreme star capped off his awards-season romance with Urban Jürgensen in the brand’s UJ-2 (a creation by master independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen) by wearing it with an all-white tuxedo and a handful of rings.
3. Michael B. Jordan’s Vintage Piaget Protocole
The Best Actor winner continued his run on vintage watches (remember that Audemars Piguet Bamboo he wore last month?) with a Piaget Protocole, a vintage style from the 1970s with a pavé diamond dial and black leather strap.
4. Kumail Nanjiani’s Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton
The actor and comedian is known for his watch game and continued his track record with a Vacheron Constantin Overseas in rose gold with a skeletonized tourbillon that measures just 5.65 millimeters in thickness. Its tourbillon cage is inspired by the brand’s Maltese cross logo.
5. Josh Groban’s Patek Philippe Nautilus
The singer’s classic Nautilus Ref. 5726/1A-014 with annual calendar, day, date and month apertures, moon phaseMoon PhaseA watch complication that displays the current phase of the moon through a small aperture on the dial, usually accurate to within a day for years. Romantic, the moon phaseGo to Moon Phase Glossary, and sweep seconds prove why the complicated watch continues to be such a hot-ticket for collectors—the elite power watch looks just as good with a tux as it does with a pair of jeans.
6. Hudson Williams’s Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas
The Heated Rivalry star continued his penchant for pushing the sartorial envelope by adding one of Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti Tubogas flexible coiled watches to his Balenciaga look. Watch industry insiders have long been speculating when Bulgari would put the Serpenti on a male celebrity and its fitting it would land on the wrist of one of the hottest actors in Tinseltown.
7. Felix Kammerer in Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
The Austrian actor’s Traditionnelle with perpetual calendar and precision moon phase was a serious choice for the red carpet; it also gave depth and coolness to Kammerer’s chocolate suiting and silk shirt.
8. Kieran Culkin in Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph King Gold
Like Miles Caton, the actor chose the watchmaker’s Classic Fusion, letting its satin-finished gold punctuate a bold suiting choice.
9. Raphael Saadiq’s Audemars Piguet Code 11.59
The music artist had a serious timepiece on hand with AP’s Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked, which is the first of its kind within the line, which debuted in 2019.
10. Wagner Moura in Omega De Ville Prestige
Sometimes, a simple dress watchDress WatchA slim, understated timepiece designed to slip beneath a shirt cuff, with a simple dial and a leather strap or fine bracelet. The dress watch emphasizes elegance over function, andGo to Dress Watch Glossary is all that’s needed, and the “Secret Agent” star and nominee’s De Ville in stainless steel proved it.
11. Kevin O’Leary’s Cartier Crash and Rolex Daytona
The entrepreneur and Marty Supreme actor wore not one but two watches on the red carpet. The first: a Rolex Daytona Ref. 116509 in 18-karat white gold with rubies on the bezel and hour markers and diamonds on the case. The other, a Cartier Crash Skeleton in platinum with skeleton bridges coated in black varnish and burgundy-hued indexes. (His diamond-encrusted card holder necklace is custom Tiffany & Co.)
12. Lewis Pullman’s Omega De Ville Prestige
Sometimes a really great colored dial is enough to stand out; as was the case with Lewis Pullman’s domed PVD dark blue dial.
13. Shaboozey’s Chopard L’Heure du Diamant
The Nigerian-American singer’s fully diamond-set Chopard L’Heure du Diamant fit right in with his diamond lapel pins and pearl earrings. Typically a woman’s watch, this piece looked confident on the artist and perfectly complemented his statement-making look.
14. Pedro Pascal’s Chanel Boy-Friend
Chanel doesn’t make menswear, and while it does make a handful of men’s timepieces they often take a backseat to the women’s offering, but that didn’t stop the Mandalorian actor from wearing both from the French fashion house. Pascal paired one of the brand’s runway floral lapel pins with its Boy-Friend watch in gold with a delicate quilted pattern calfskin strap.
15. Usher in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Rendez-Vous Classic Night & Day
The music artist is known for a personal style that’s elegant with just a hint of sparkle and old Hollywood glamour. His Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous perfectly captured that feeling with its stylized black numerals and understated diamond bezel, which is typically sold as a women’s piece.
16. Gabriel Leone’s Bulgari Octo Roma
The Senna stars’ Octo Roma has just enough verve for the red carpet, with its rounded octagonal shape. It stood out while still looking sleek and understated.
17. Miles Caton’s Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Titanium King Gold
The Sinners actor stood out in a burgundy tuxedo, made even more compelling with a sporty Hublot Classic Fusion chronographChronographA watch complication that incorporates a stopwatch function, controlled by pushers on the case and displayed on small subdials. Originally developed for timing events, the chronograph remains popular for itsGo to Chronograph Glossary in a satin-finished titanium with a rubber strap.
18. Delroy Lindo in Omega
The actor and Oscar nominee has a long and impressive resume—but his unreleased Omega has us even more intrigued.
This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.