At Cannes Film Festival, there's been almost as much to note about the wristwear on show than the movies themselves. Harrison Ford’s trusty old time-telling companion gets rave reviews in comparison to the latest (and last, surely?) Indiana Jones. Fellow cast member Mads Mikkelsen pairs his immaculate hair with a classy flex, and The Weeknd (call him Abel Tesfaye now please) wears a Piaget women’s number almost sparkly enough to deflect from The Idol’s problematic premise. Here are watches of the week just gone.
Mads Mikkelsen – Chopard L.U.C Perpetual T
Mads Mikkelsen fans will be thrilled by the Danish actor’s latest outing over the weekend. Not only does his hair look fabulous, we’re also very into every item of clothing he was spotted in. Much has been said about Alexander Skarsgard’s Scandi style recently but we are mad for Mads – his dress sense is on another level of sophistication. That extends to his wristwear, with the apple of his eye in Cannes a Chopard LUC Perpetual T. The T stands for tourbillon, with the movement boasting a power reserve of 9 days. It's subtly 43mm too, which is sizeable but slight at the same time. Mikkelsen is known for wizardry on screen, but this Chopard is IRL wizardry.
Ethan Hawke – Piaget Altiplano Ultimate
In the absence of his Strange Way of Life co-star, internet zaddy Pedro Pascal, Hawke garnered sufficient attention for Pedro Almodóvar new gay cowboy short film by wearing something bedazzling. 38mm, white gold, baguette-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds, ultra-thin manual-winding mechanical, alligator strap make up Piaget's Altiplano Ultimate and more than cuts it.
Will Ferrell – Zenith Defy Red A3691
It should be common knowledge that without Zenith, Rolex wouldn’t be the horological force it was – its ‘El Primero’ movement (the world's first high frequency, fully integrated automatic chronograph) basically kept alive the watch industry in the ’70s and ‘80s. We reckon The Anchorman star knows about Zenith’s prestige, and we’re digging his hot pop of red on the Cannes red carpet here. Octagonal watches like AP’s Royal Oak can be a bit overbearing but this Defy (along with Girard Perregaux’s Laureato) proves that they can be a lowkey vibe too – which is not something Ferrell has ever been described as.
Harrison Ford – Breitling Aerospace
Time was when someone bought a watch primarily for its functionality and then used it for what it was made for – at least partially. Harrison Ford existed in such a time. Yes, he’s an actor. But he’s also a very accomplished pilot who used to train US military pilots in the '50s among other plane-related skills. Indeed, an Architectural Digest-style tour around his gaff would surely out a few books and wall-length aviation pics. It makes sense that he has an iconic pilot’s watch strapped to him, then. He’s had his Breitling Aerospace since the ’90s and we dig the fact he remains faithful to it no matter where he finds himself these days – also given there are now other cooler pilot’s watches out there too. Ford is deserving of his honorary lifetime Palme d’Or and receiving it is yet another career highlight where he’s been accompanied by his trust timepiece – boy has his Breitling seen some sights, and you can get your hands on it for £3,500.
The Weeknd – Piaget Limelight Gala
What watch could possibly steal the limelight away from The Idol, a new TV show that boasts “revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Lily Rose Depp’s face… and masturbation with ice cubes”? Answer: a Piaget Limelight Gala high jewellery watch on The Weeknd’s wrist. For watch nerds, the singer entrusting Euphoria creator Sam Levinson with his acting debut – and reputation – is by the by when you have a 32mm women’s watch strapped to you. It’s white gold, has yellow sapphires all over its dial, bracelet and lugs and means Abel Tesfaye is the latest musician (hi Bad Bunny, Tyler, the Creator, Pharrell) to rock a tiny ladies timepiece. We’re here for it – far more than we are for watching The Idol.
Pep Guardiola – A Lange & Sohne Datograph Perpetual
Ask Jack Grealish and he’ll confirm the Citeh gaffer isn’t afraid of letting it be known that he has his favourites. Once it was Raheem Sterling. Phil Foden got the nod for a bit, and Grealish has very much been Pep’s go-to man on the wing this season. Look closely and you’ll see parallels between his approach to squad rotation and his watch collection exist. We know he has a now discontinued Rolex Cellini in his locker and there are some mad Richard Mille available to him but for the past few months his go-to wrist flex has been an A Lange & Sohne Datograph Perpetual. Every time he’s celebrated a goal, a victory or a trophy he’s been on show so let’s just agree it’s had a lot of airtime. Like his City squad, this watch is as technically impressive as it is versatile and classy – being Lange’s first piece to boast both a chronograph and a perpetual calendar array. Guardiola is 100 percent the superstitious type so expect to see this timepiece make appearances at the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
