As Daniel Craig et al know only too well, the art of product placement is a delicate old thing. A can of Pepsi here, a brand new Chevrolet there. But the best movie watches? Invariably, they actually have a deeper and more substantial history than nearly any other item in cinema: as keen-eyed observers of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness will attest. In that film, Benedict Cumberbatch's engraved Jaeger-LeCoultre plays a pivotal role in Sam Raimi's freewheeling story.
Indeed, rather than being a distraction, or a weapon if you're 007, watches have become deeply intertwined with many films in which they appear, used as storytelling devices that are variously pronounced, subtle and – in the case of something like Pulp Fiction – very, very funny.
From the best timepiece in the Wolf of Wall Street to a Seiko dreamt up by the world’s most legendary car designer, these are the best movie watches in cinematic history.
Rolex Day Date (Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems 2019)
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Forget about the Ferragamo loafers and little Cartier shades (actually don’t, they’re still good) the real star of Sandler’s Howard ‘Howie’ Ratner in Uncut Gems is his ridiculously gaudy, iced out Rolex Day-Date with a blood red dial. Apparently the piece was sourced by the film’s prop master, Catherine Miller, from an actual jewellery store in New York’s murky Diamond District, which is apt. “This is How I win,” etc.
Omega Seamaster 1948 (Daniel Craig in Glass Onion, 2022)
While Daniel Craig's latest turn as detective Benoit Blanc was rightfully lauded for his little neckerchiefs and matching short sets, it’s also a film full of really good watches. For instance, we have Blanc’s 1948 Omega Seamaster, a limited release chrono (1,948 pieces to be precise), a very nice, vintage-looking 38mm stainless steel case, domed opaline dial on a tan leather strap, an homage to Omega’s original Seamaster. Elsewhere, Katharine Hahn’s corrupt politician, Claire Debella, flails about in a lovely Cartier Tank Française in stainless steel with Roman numerals. If I was a corrupt politician I’d definitely squirrel one of these bad boys away, too.
Omega Speedmaster Professional (Ryan Reynolds in The Adam Project, 2022)
It might be a pre-cooked Netflix blockbuster that appears to have been created via an AI prompt, The Adam Project does feature a pair of swish Speedmasters, worn by Ryan Reynolds and a child version of Ryan Reynolds (Walker Scobell… it’s a time travel flick). If you’re going to pick a watch that can travel through time and space and bridge the gap between generations of Ryan Reynoldseseses — then Omega’s flagship, moon-conquering chrono is a pretty reasonable choice.
TAG Heuer Professional 1000 (Leo DiCaprio in Wolf of Wall Street 2013)
Leo should have won an Oscar for this one, shouldn’t he? Anyway, as the snake oil-selling, coke-addled and money-drunk megalomaniac Jordan Belfort, he accidentally inspired a new generation of Forex trading bros, which is bad, but his TAG Heuer 1000? That’s good. Originally launched as a late ‘80s alternative to the Rolex GMT and Submariner, it might look like a solid gold piece, but is in fact gold-plated. What that says about Belfort’s character, well, we’ll leave that one up for interpretation.
Breguet 7047PT (Ben Affleck in Batman vs Superman 2016)
Poor Ben Affleck, his big ol’ Boston chin never really got a chance under that famous cowl. Despite his short rein as the caped crusader, Affleck’s Batman did get a chance to flex some heavy-duty wrist-wear during his stint in Gotham, namely a Breguet Tradition Fusee Tourbillon 7047PT (in platinum, darling). It might seem like a fairly unusual Hollywood choice — a real ‘if you know, you know’ piece from the oldest of old school marks behind the watch world’s favourite mad complication, but it makes sense: a hugely technical and expensive piece for a sad, complicated and very wealthy playboy tycoon.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar (Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, 2022)
Before heading out for a fateful drive behind the wheel of his Lambo, famed surgeon Dr. Stephen Strange picks out a particularly beautiful Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar from his impressive collection. Engraved with the message ‘Time will tell how much I love you – Christine.' It’s clad on his wrist when he suffers the crash that will send him on an existential and time-bending journey into self discovery, the multiverse and being a guy who wears a cape. Cool! A bit different to other watches on this list, Cumberbatch’s JLC is almost its own character in the film and just launched sequel. Strange’s smashed up JLC serves as a tether to his old life, a beautiful and battered watch that he even wears with the costume and cape. Imagine Spider-man wearing a Rollie on the outside of the spidey suit.
Yellow-gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona (Wolf of Wall Street, 2013)
As we mentioned earlier, while the show might have been rightfully stolen by Leo’s captivating 180 minute-long tour de force of blowhard and blow-fuelled American excess, hubris and avarice, its Jonah Hill’s Donnie Azoff, Jordan Belfort’s buck-toothed and equally obnoxious righthand man, who has the best watch in the Wolf of Wall Street. Yes, Jordan’s gold-plated tag is more than nice, but that Yellow-gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with a black face is a picture of slick finance bro aspiration, a shining symbol that Jordan and his boys have ‘made it’, especially when paired with a pale pink shirt, purple braces and bottom of the barrel morals, glinting mischievously as he cuts dodgy deals and orchestrates members of staff being held over balconies for holding illicit parties in his boss’s penthouse. Also, you could pick one up for a few grand in the 80s. Those truly were the days.
Patek Philippe Reference 6002 Sky Moon Tourbillon (The Hitman's Bodyguard, 2017)
When he’s not saving romantically disastrous non-league teams from dire circumstances, Ryan Reynolds might show up in a film or two. In 2017’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard, we see a quick snippet and one detailed closeup of a lesser-spotted Patek, a Sky Moon Tourbillon, with a 42mm platinum case and dramatic black dial with red detailing. Featuring 12 complications, it’s one of the storied brand’s most complex and impressive watches designed to keep an eye on what the moon and sun is up to, with perpetual calendar and minute repeater functions thrown in for good measure. Perfect for a hitman's bodyguard, then.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore (Trainwreck, 2015)
One of the many big name appearances in Trainwreck, NBA megastar and certified big, big boy, LBJ (not that one) shows up wearing a lovely AP. A Royal Oak Offshore Chrono to be more precise, which just so happened to be a namesake special edition limited to 600 pieces made from pink gold and titanium and grey rubber strap and a diamond-set black ceramic pusher. Fancy.
Casio DW290-1V (Mission Impossible, 1996)
Tom Cruise does his own stunts! Tom Cruise throws himself out of planes, and rappels down buildings, and beats the bad guys, and saves the day, and runs really, really fast. Tom Cruise also wears an iconic Casio sport watch while doing all of this, the DW290-1V. A black case that can withstand a beating, water resistant to 200m, five alarms (five alarms!), a stopwatch and backlight function. Let’s see a double tourbillon do all of that.
Bremont Kingsman Special Edition (Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014)
The franchise that reinvigorated the stylish spy genre, the all action British watchmaker Bremont worked alongside the film’s director Matthew Vaughn to cook up a special and highly limited edition piece. An 18-carat rose gold, 43mm chrono on an alligator leather strap. Not the most inconspicuous watch; not that Taron Egerton was complaining when it looks like that. Co-star Mark Strong was clearly rather smitten, too.
Breitling AVI ref. 765 1953 re-edition, Bullet Train (2022)
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A rapid-fire and faintly ridiculous assassin romp set aboard a very fast train, Brad Pitt’s latest is probably not going to sweep awards season, but it does stand out as a surprisingly great watch film. There’s Aaron Taylor Johnson’s rare 40s Rolex Oyster ‘Bubbleback’ Perpetual with a ‘California’ dial; Joey King’s timeless Cartier Tank Solo and, our pick of the bunch, Pitt’s Breitling AVI ref. 765 1953 re-edition, a big ol’ stainless steel pilot classic with a black leather strap (actually only 41mm, but it looks sturdy) with both 15-minute and 12-hour chrono counters. A watch for braving the skies and beating up some rivals who also want a briefcase full of cash.
Omega Speedmaster (The American, 2010)
Clooney, he’s an Omega man, we all know that. Here’s another assassin film, it turns out cold-blooded killers can also appreciate a beautiful timepiece. It’s Clooney, cutting about Italy with a sniper rifle, a neatly-cropped haircut and an Omega Speedmaster Professional aka the ‘Moonwatch’ with a black dial and matching leather strap. Apparently it’s the 1861, a version that was first released in 1996, with a 42mm dial and those same peerless chronograph features and beautifully technical bezel and dial detailing.
TAG Heuer Carrera (The Gray Man, 2022)
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“The only watch that can keep up with The Gray Man,” according to TAG Heuer. In the Russo brother’s big budget global spy chase, Ryan Gosling might wear a red suit, a black tee, or a suede bomber, but what stays consistent is the watch on his wrist, a stainless steel 39mm Carrera with a silver-grey dial and Super-Luminova filled hands and markers. Ticking with Tag Heuer’s Calibre 5 automatic movement, water resistant to 100m. A dress watch, a sport watch, and even a spy watch.
Seiko Giugiaro 7A28-7000 (Aliens, 1986)
Originally a collaboration between Seiko and the legendary Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro – who you can thank for the VW Golf, the Fiat Panda, the Maserati Ghibli and the DeLorean – the Seiko Giugiaro 7A28-7000 was chosen by noted watch buff James Cameron to be worn by Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley on her return to try and get to the bottom of all of that Alien business in the series’ brilliant second outing. While the film itself may not be best described as ‘fun’, the watch, with its strange, blocky protrusion that contains the chronograph's pushers, is definitely a piece of thrilling automotive-inspired designed and serves as a utilitarian bit of sci-fi kit during Ripley’s return to planet LV-426. A piece of history that is still much-sought after by collectors and film nerds.
Casio CA53W Twincept Databank (Back to the Future, 1985)
"Good evening, I am Dr. Emmett Brown. I am standing in the parking lot of Twin Pines Mall. It's Saturday morning, October 26, 1985, 1:18 AM, and this is temporal experiment number one.” The person filming Doc with a bulky JCV camcorder as he clambers out of a very famous time-bending car is a certain red gilet-clad Marty McFly. He glances at his wrist, a hefty Casio with a digital face flashes into view. Things are about to get interesting. A bit clunky and embarrassing now, in 1985 a calculator watch was the height of forward-thinking technology. Hamilton’s Pulsar had caused a sensation and companies were climbing over themselves to develop digital quartz technology. Able to store names and phone numbers, it’s no coincidence that the film’s flummoxed hero chose a Casio CA53W to step into the future at 88mph. This will forever remain one of the most iconic watches in movies.
Heuer Monaco (Le Mans, 1971)
You know the picture, the one of McQueen as the racer Michael Delany, wearing a white fire-retardant driving suit, an American flag on the left arm and prominent ‘Chronograph Heuer’ in red lettering on the right shoulder. The story goes that McQueen was originally tempted by a Speedmaster, before he settled on the now iconic square-faced, waterproof chrono due to the Heuer branding on his character’s suit. It turned out to be a prudent choice, both for McQueen and Tag Heuer, with the watch becoming one of its signature designs and a film prop legend.
While there’s not a ton of the Monaco in the film itself, legend has it that McQueen – who did all of his own stunts – had it on his wrist as he drove a Porsche 917 at speeds of over 200mph down the Mulsanne straight on the final day of filming. Oh, and the original, which was gifted to McQueen’s mechanic after filming wrapped, sold at auction for £1.61m in 2020. Not bad.
The Gold Watch (Pulp Fiction, 1994)
Christopher Walken is the kind of actor with the ability to lift any scene that features his burning, boggle-eyed gaze. In Pulp Fiction (you know the one), he makes one of the all time great cameos as addled veteran Captain Koons, who is returning a gold pocket watch with an interesting backstory back to a young Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) during a feverish flashback scene. Coolidge’s father one was one of Koons’ comrades shot down over Hanoi. “Five long years he wore this watch… up his ass.” Hopefully he gave it a scrub.
The watch itself was picked up by the film’s prop master, Jonathan R. Hodges, at an antique store, making it – like the scene it appears in – a true one off.
Hamilton Ventura (Men in Black, 1997)
A piece of classic American design, Elvis loved the Hamilton Ventura so much that he insisted on it being on his character’s wrist in Blue Hawaii. Futuristic in a strange, modernist kind of sense, it’s no coincidence that a rejigged, slightly ominous Ventura with a black face and a lizard skin strap reappeared in Men in Black on the wrists of the, errr, men in black. Sci-fi in appearance, the agency is said to have started in the 50s, making the inclusion of a Ventura (launched by Hamilton in 1957) on the monochrome and monosyllabic alien hunters’ wrists a period-accurate inclusion. The Ventura has featured prominently in all four of the MiB films (let’s maybe not talk about the fourth), but it’s at its best when seen on Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in the 1997 opener. Sharp black suits, trendy wraparound shades and a killer piece of midcentury design right there on the wrist.
Hamilton Ventura Auto (Men in Black: International, 2019)
And the Ventura made a comeback a couple of years ago, this time worn by Chris Hemsworth’s subversively stupid character in the same movie franchise, MiB. With a newly-updated automatic movement (the original was the world’s first electrical battery-powered watch, a major breakthrough at the time), it retains that same brilliant and bizarre Art Deco-y shape.
Omega La Magique (Scarface, 1983)
“Say hell0 to my little frie”…. Alright, that’s enough of that. Scarface is a fun, flashy film dripping in abundance, and the brilliantly-named Omega La Magique is a a fun, flashy watch dripping in more of the same. Over a tense meeting with Bolivian drug lord Alejandro Sosa, Tony is decked out in white satin tailoring, flared trousers, massive shoulders, an even bigger crimson shirt, bracelets, rings, chains. A truly insane outfit. And what’s that there on his wrist as he gnaws over a tense negotiation? A gold Magique fit for an unhinged kingpin. “I started you in this business… so shut the fuck up!” Still a great line. And a great watch!
Swatch Q (No Time to Die, 2022)
Q might not get the lasers, the Tom Ford tailoring, the Omegas, or the cars with lasers that are readily-supplied to the reckless charge that rocks up at MI6 HQ every now and then, but in Bond’s latest outing, he does at least have a special watch on his wrist – a Swatch Q or, to use its full title, a Swatch Q SS07Z100. Designed by Swatch alongside the film’s costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb, the Swatch Q is subtle inclusion in the film we only spy (haha) a couple of times, but it makes for a fun bit of 007 trivia if you think it’s a strictly Omega outing for Daniel Craig’s Bond swan song.
