Welcome to Watches of the Week, where we’ll track the rarest, wildest, and most covetable watches spotted on celebrities.
The biggest watch story of 2021 involved Ben Affleck and his romantically nostalgic choice of wristwear. In case you missed it: when the actor got back together with former fiancee Jennifer Lopez, he put all his efforts toward recapturing the magic of 2002 through either science or magic. Part of this involved dusting off the Franck Muller watch that Lopez gave him and which he wore when they were first together in the early 2000s. Since this moment, you could almost interpret Affleck’s mood through what’s on his wrist.
Before getting back together with Lopez, Affleck hardly ever wore a watch. I know this because I wrote about looking at what Affleck wore nearly every day a few years ago, and he was always without a watch; what was time but a reminder that it was passing? Affleck wasn’t dressing well back then. “These are the outfits for a dude just trying to make it through the week,” I wrote, “or just, like, the day!” The watch might have been a flourish too far, requiring too much effort for a Dunkin’ run. Affleck focused on the necessities, like his vape.
Now, after marrying Lopez in a small Las Vegas wedding, Affleck seems refreshed and ready to accessorize again! His honeymoon alone has been filled with some awesome and interesting watches. The first is a custom skeletonized Rolex Submariner from Artisan De Geneve, and the second is an Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune. Look at on-trend Affleck! Hermès watchmaking is taking off in a major way this year, and Affleck’s watch is helpfully representative of why. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune combines Hermès’ design strength with technical horological chops, which the French house best known for making silk scarves has made a huge investment in as of late. The watch tells time using two discs that show the hours and minutes and rotate around a dial set with two moons made of mother of pearl. These are two super-interesting and unique watches: It’s good to have watch-collector Affleck back.
Chris Pine’s Rolex Day-Date
Are we as a society talking enough about Chris Pine’s delightful outfits? We spill a lot of digital ink extolling Pine and yet it still doesn’t feel like enough. He’s been absolutely freaking it for years in caftans, coastal-grandma chic, and Zorro shirts. But Pine isn’t all about upping the shock factor. The actor is smart about balancing the wacky with the classic. His Day-Date is perfect for maintaining this delicate balance. The watch is an ultimate classic and allows Pine to get away with the crazier elements of his look.
Kevin Durant’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Kevin Durant, at the premiere of NYC Point Gods, a new documentary he produced, busted out a godly watch. We rarely ever get a look at the Slim Reaper’s wristwear—blame his love of Vetements hoodies for that—but he makes moments like this count. Durant appears to be wearing the new 50th anniversary edition of the Royal Oak with a tourbillon and navy blue dial. This is a pairing of two all-time greats.
Chris Rock’s Jacob & Co. Epic X
It didn’t get launched into space like another Jacob & Co., but Rock’s Epic X is no slouch. Despite its outrageous looks, the Epic X is intended to be Jacob & Co.’s version of an everyday watch. This only makes sense when you look at the rest of the brand’s watches: boldly-colored creations tracking five time zones, or pieces with diamond moons and globes that rotate around the dial. Only in that blinged-out light could Rock’s Epic X feel like your everyday casual sport watch. To his credit, Rock makes it work even during a coffee run.
Tom Cruise’s Rolex GMT-Master II
Who knew Cruise had this many top-tier watches? Starting with his Top Gun press tour, the actor has shown off one all-timer after another. His run includes a highly complicated Vacheron Constantin, two Cartiers, and a Rolex Sky-Dweller. Now, he adds the red-and-blue bezel “Pepsi” GMT to his resume. Like the other watches he’s been showing off, the GMT is a can’t-miss piece that’s a little bit sporty and a lot classic.