It wasn’t enough for Tom Brady to wear just one obscene watch this week. Instead, he showed off the full range of his collection, from the classic sports watch model to one that looks like it could be from the future.
The fun started last weekend when the seven-time Super Bowl champion was spotted on the court at a Knicks-Nets game Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506. This platinum-cased version of the famous racing chronograph has an extra trick up its sleeve. Look carefully at the Brady version and you will notice that it is equipped with eight baguette-cut diamond hour markers. (You can grab the watch without diamond indexes if you want, but if you’re going to drop more than $70,000 on a bit of antiquated timekeeping technology, what’s an extra $10,000 worth between friends?) Like many platinum rollies, it has ice – Blue dial plus brown Cerachrom bezel and matching platinum Oyster bracelet. (If you’ve never tried one of these products before, here it is heavy hours, so it helps if you’re six-foot-four and 225 pounds).
But the top-tier Daytona wasn’t the only piece of wrist candy to catch our attention this week. Another period of wristwatch photography, I caught Brady playing golf in a Richard Mille RM 72-01. Available in various precious metals and high-tech, this watch is the first RM watch to feature an entirely in-house calibre, the CRMC-1. (Most previous RM watches used movements developed by suppliers such as Manufacture Vaucher and Renaud & Papi.) A flyback chronograph in a barrel-shaped case, featuring seconds and minutes, a 24-hour counter with color-coordinated hands, and a semi-instantaneous counter. Displaying the date, the brand’s famous barrel-shaped case is made of three parts.
With a spread of nearly $100,000 in list prices, the Daytona and RM 72-01 have a lot in common as well as several obvious differences. Both are chronographs with the ability to record elapsed time, and both are status symbols known outside the watch world as indicators of prestige and wealth. This is where the similarities end. The Daytona uses a fairly straightforward (albeit well-built) movement and case design, while the RM is clearly technically advanced, with an emphasis on special materials and a unique dual-tilt clutch system. Despite its platinum construction and diamond-studded dial, the Daytona is instantly recognizable as coming from a decades-old line with roots in mid-20th century racing. The RM, on the other hand, is still a relatively new design and doesn’t have much in common aesthetically with any other brands’ offerings.
Brady is known for his broad taste in watchmaking, which is reflected in his extensive collection. That’s part of the reason we never get bored of his watchmaking selections: although there are many classics out there to consider, you never know what you’re going to get on any given day.
Skeleton of John David Washington Cartier Santos Dumont
When John David Washington isn’t fending off an attack from the future as a former CIA agent with time-traveling powers, he’s dazzling Cartier’s top brass at awards ceremonies. He was spotted at the 15th Annual Governors Awards this week, wearing a large yellow gold Cartier Santos-Dumont case with a blue lacquered bezel. This particular look at the Santos-Dumont watch stems from 2023 when the house gave its aviation collection a new automatic movement with a micro-rotor. Look carefully and you’ll realize that the little spinner is shaped like an airplane – a fanciful touch that adds a bit of whimsy to the otherwise largely formal design. At 31mm x 8mm thick, it’s a good-sized piece that adds a certain flair I’m not saying this To the category of dress watches.
Colman Domingo Panettiere de Cartier
And speaking of premium Cartier, Colman Domingo was spotted wearing the collection’s oversized steel and yellow gold Panthère de Cartier piece. Although this line has long been marketed to women, it has also been known to be favored by distinctly stylish men like Pierce Brosnan, Keith Richards, and Timothée Chalamet. Its graceful design makes it the perfect dress piece, and its wide range of sizes and configurations available means anyone can find the right version. Plus-size model Domingo looked perfect with her left-of-center silhouette over a gray and white double-breasted tuxedo.
Jonathan Bailey Omega De Ville Prestige
Jonathan Bailey is impressed by the film’s New York premiere evil With a watch that’s perfectly in line with the Tiny Watch trend for 2024. The Omega De Ville Prestige 27.5mm in steel with a yellow gold bezel is a quartz-powered dress watch with a mother-of-pearl dial and alternating yellow gold and diamond indexes. Powered by the brand’s 4061 movement and paired with a black leather strap, it’s the perfect cocktail watch, and pairs well with Bailey’s white dinner jacket. Like the Panthère de Cartier mentioned above, watches of this size and configuration used to be largely marketed to women, but that has changed over the past few years.
Daniel Craig (Unpublished) Omega Seamaster Diver 300M
In keeping with the current trend of stealthily strapping an unreleased Omega onto Daniel Craig’s wrist when he makes notable public appearances, the former secret agent wore an as-yet-unknown outfit on a Seamaster Diver 300M to the Governors Awards this week. This version is equipped with a metal mesh bracelet on its style No time to die The watch — in addition to the newly released black and gray Seamaster models made of stainless steel — appears to have a burgundy bezel and black dial. If the recent past is any indication, we should see this new version of the brand’s popular diver officially drop within the next few months, likely in early 2025.