Words: Jonathan Wells
In this year’s ‘Best Picture’ winner (the absurdist Everything Everywhere All at Once), this year’s ‘Best Actress’ winner (Michelle Yeoh) spends a couple of tear-jerking, soul-seeking minutes delivering a climactic speech that ends with the line: “Then I will cherish these few specks of time”.
It’s a soapy sentiment, but one that many nominees decided to honour at this year’s Oscars ceremony. Cherishing and showcasing some seriously impressive watches, stars from presenter Andrew Garfield to winner Ke Huy Quan buckled up a long-list of black tie timepieces and flexed their own ‘specks of time’. Here are eight of the best…
Paul Mescal wore a Cartier Privé Tank Chinoise
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his complex lead role in Charlotte Wells’ acclaimed Aftersun, Mescal paired his vintage-tinged flared tuxedo trousers with an old-school red rose pinned to his lapel. And on his wrist? Something equally retro; a boxy, platinum-cased Tank Chinoise from Cartier’s limited ‘Privé’ collection.
Ke Huy Quan wore a Omega Globemaster Constellation
The first of several comeback stories (Brendan Fraser also took home the gong for Best Actor), Ke Huy Quan capped off his renaissance year by winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His (many) roles in Everything Everywhere All at Once pinball between the suave and the sheepish — but this Omega Globemaster belongs firmly in the former category, with its opaline silvery dial and co-axial master chronometer movement.
Riz Ahmed wore a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date
Two years ago, in 2021, Riz Ahmed was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Last year, he scooped up a statuette for producing short film The Long Goodbye. This year, he won the watch-wearing category, buckling up the idiosyncratic day-date from Vacheron Constantin. He may have swapped out the strap, but this exquisite, original 18K white gold watch still features a rare combination of retrograde hand-type day and date display.
Lenny Kravitz wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Classic Duoface Small Seconds
The Academy called on Kravitz to soundtrack the ‘in memoriam’ section of Sunday’s awards ceremony, and the icon took to the stage to play a version of ‘Calling All Angels’ at a grand piano. On his wrist? Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Classic Duoface Small Seconds. With two dials driven by a single mechanical movement, this model can turn its hand to any situation — much like the musicianship of Kravtiz himself.
Idris Elba wore a Gucci G-Timeless Planetarium
He may not have been nominated, but Idris Elba is a stellar addition to any guest list. This year, the actor’s outfit included a truly head-turning bit of kit; the G-Timeless Planetarium from Gucci. With 12 gemstones circling the dial, this gem-set wheel can be activated with the push of a button, rotating around the dial in a gala of light. And those arrow-shaped watch hands pay homage to high watchmaking’s heritage of fine technical detail.
Andrew Garfield wore a Omega De Ville Trésor Chronometer
Nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Actor (for 2017’s Hacksaw Ridge and 2022’s Tick, Tick… Boom!) Garfield was on presenting duties this year — joining Florence Pugh to award the gongs for Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplays. He strapped Omega’s De Ville Trésor in 18K ‘Sedna’ Gold onto his wrist, featuring a silvery opaline dial with a domed vintage ‘clous de Paris’ pattern.
Michael B. Jordan wore a Tiffany Square 2-Hand Limited Edition Watch
Another actor yet to score his first Academy Award nomination — but currently flying high with his directorial debut, Creed III — Michael B. Jordan chose a Tiffany timepiece for the champagne carpet (organisers took a break from red this year). Only available in certain stores, it features a black alligator strap, stainless steel case and pared-back monochromatic dial — a slick, simple choice (but one he accentuated with two Tiffany & Co. brooches).
Barry Keoghan wore a Omega Globemaster Co‑Axial Master Chronometer
Another actor from the hotly contested Best Supporting Actor category, Barry Keoghan’s watch was another subtle, shrewdly chosen timepiece. Omega’s Globemaster has a stainless steel case which features a hard metal scratch-proof fluted bezel, a blackened star motif, and hands and indexes which have been filled with luminous Super-LumiNova. A surprisingly restrained choice — especially given The Banshees of Inisherin star’s punchy, flowery suit.
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