No matter how individual your style, sometimes it is nice to see the choices you have made, or would like to make, matched by people in the public eye. We are pleased to introduce you to some high-profile individuals and the watches they select. To ensure there is no commercial element in the relationship between them and their timepieces, we have chosen celebrities who are not paid by watch companies to be their ambassadors, or who chose their preferred watches before they entered a relationship with their manufacturers.
Jay-Z does have a mutually beneficial relationship with at least one watch company as far as we know. Audemars Piguet has created a watch in his honour. But the rapper and businessman’s relationship with horology runs deep. He has been an aficionado for years and has a huge collection of classic watches worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of pounds. As well as Audemars Piguets he’s been seen in Rolexes, Hublots, a Richard Mille and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso.
Panerais are built for big wrists so they are perfect for action star Sylvester Stallone. He is now a brand ambassador but found the company many years ago. He discovered the Italian manufacturer in Florence in the mid 90s when by chance he walked into its shop. Since then he’s worn the watches in many of his films and passed his love of Panerais to fellow rugged actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham and Terry Crews.
The Duchess of Cambridge seems to stick to just one watch – it doesn’t do for members of the royal family to flaunt their wealth - but she has made a very stylish choice which fits the bill for just about every occasion. She wears a Cartier Ballon Bleu. It is a very discreet 33mm radius with a stainless-steel case, Roman numerals and blue sword-shaped hands.
He might be just about the biggest acting star on the planet, but Tom Cruise wears quite a modest watch when compared with his fellow superstars. He is regularly seen in various Bremonts, most of which, if available can be bought for less than £4,000. He may well be attracted to the brand by its aviation connections, he holds a pilot’s licence and Bremont was founded by former aircraft designers. Many of the watches have aeronautical styling.
Rolling Stone Keith Richards doesn’t come across as a man to whom time means a great deal, but his wise watch selection belies this. His usual choice is a very handsome white-faced IWC Portugieser. He has also been seen with black-faced Portugiesers and said to have an extensive IWC collection.