Published on April 20, 2024
Rolex/Louis Vuitton/Getty
You may not think Idris Elba, Carlos Alcaraz, and Scottie Scheffler have much in common, but evidently, they all love Rolex.
The three gents wore some impressive timepieces by the Crown this week, with the British actor rocking a GMT-Master II, the Spanish tennis player donning a Daytona, and the American golfer sporting a Submariner. In addition, Vogue’s global creative and cultural advisor Edward Enninful hit the red carpet with a suitably stylish Milgauss on his wrist.
Rolex wasn’t the only horological heavyweight getting love from celebs over the past few days, though. Louis Vuitton ambassador Bradley Cooper showed off one of the French house’s beautiful blue Tambours, Hublot ambassador Kylian Mbappé flaunted the Swiss watchmaker’s gorgeous gold Big Bang Unico, and Audemars Piguet ambassador John Mayer was spotted in the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar he recently co-designed with the brand.
Below are the best watch flexes of the week.
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Bradley Cooper: Louis Vuitton Tambour
Image Credit: Getty/Louis Vuitton It isn’t exactly surprising that Bradley Cooper wore a Tambour to the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in L.A. on Saturday. He is the face of the Louis Vuitton watch, after all. The reference he chose was a colorful curve ball, however: The Maestro star opted for a bold blue dial instead of a subdued gray face. Released in 2023, the aptly named Tambour Steel is a sporty riff on the 2002 original. The sleek timepiece features a 40 mm steel case, an integrated steel bracelet, and a blue dial that is perfectly on trend. It will set you back $18,500.
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Idris Elba: Rolex GMT-Master II
Image Credit: Getty/Rolex Idris Elba pulled out a modern twist on a Rolex classic for the Knuckles premiere in London this week. Released in 2022, the GMT-Master II (Ref. 126720VTNR) features a crown and crown guard on the left side of the 40 mm Oystersteel case rather than the right. The date aperture and Cyclops lens have also been moved across the dial from 3 to 9 o’clock. In a first for the Rolex GMT, the reference showcases a green and black monobloc Cerachrom bezel insert; Cerachrom is Rolex’s proprietary ceramic material. The colorway has earned the watch three affectionate nicknames: “Green Lantern”, “Sprite,” or “Destro” (Italian for ‘right’ used in this case because left-handers typically wear watches on their right hand). Some also call these reversed watches LHDs (left hand drivers). Elba’s piece is fitted with a Jubilee bracelet and costs $11,250 at reatail – but that’s going to be hard to find at any Rolex AD. On the pre-owned market, expect to pay as much as double.
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John Mayer: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Image Credit: Getty/Audemars Piguet We would have been shocked if John Mayer wore his Rolex Daytona or Casio G-Shock to a launch event for his new watch with Audemars Piguet. The seven-time Grammy-winning musician, horophile, and longtime friend of AP predictably rocked the limited-edition Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” at Wednesday’s soiree. The watch of the hour pairs an 18-carat white-gold case and bracelet with the Swiss watchmaker’s striking new embossed “Crystal Sky” dial. It is also the last limited-edition timepiece to house AP’s caliber 5134. The perpetual calendar displays the week, day, date, astronomical moon, month, leap year, hours, and minutes, no less. Limited to just 200 examples, the John Mayer special will set you back $180,700.
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Carlos Alcaraz: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Image Credit: Getty/Rolex Carlos Alcaraz is currently third in the ATP, rankings but at least he’s wearing first-place wrist candy. The Spanish tennis pro wore an otherworldly Rolex Cosmograph Daytona at an event in Barcelona this week. The timepiece (Ref. 116519 LN) showcases an 18-karat yellow-gold case, a black Cerachrom bezel, and a coveted meteorite dial. The extraterrestrial material on the face hails from an asteroid or planet that exploded in outer space over 1 million years ago. Meteorite dials were discontinued for Daytona models in 2023, making pieces like Alcaraz’s a hot commodity. You can expect to pay at least $84,000 for a pre-owned example.
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Kylian Mbappé: Hublot Big Bang Unico
Image Credit: Hublot Soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé was in Geneva to celebrate the new Hublot Big Bang e Gen 3 smartwatch created in honor of the upcoming UEFA EURO tournament, but that didn’t stop him from showing off his own, more extravagant Big Bang Unico Magic Gold. Unveiled in 2023, the limited-edition piece features a case and bezel in the Swiss watchmaker’s signature Magic Gold alloy. Billed as the first “scratch-proof gold, the singular material combines hardwearing ceramic with gleaming 18-karat gold. The black skeletonized dial also showcases gold accents and gives a striking view of the Unico 2 chronograph movement (HUB 1280). Limited to 200 pieces, the glitzy grail is priced at $40,500.
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Scottie Scheffler: Rolex Submariner
Image Credit: Rolex/Getty Scottie Scheffler wore the perfect Rolex to receive his green jacket at this year’s Masters. Released in 2010, the Submariner (Ref. 116610LV) features a green Cerachrom bezel, a green sunray dial, and a chunky 40 mm “Super” case. Affectionately nicknamed the “Hulk” for obvious reasons, the timepiece was discontinued in 2020 as the Crown introduced larger iterations with fresh colorways. As such, Hulks can cost roughly $20,000 on the secondary market, while the current standard-issue Sub costs $10,800.
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Edward Enninful: Rolex Milgauss
Image Credit: Getty/Bob’s Watches Edward Enninful has worked as a stylist, editor, and Vogue exec, but he wore the watch of a scientist to this year’s Olivier Awards. The Crown first released the Milgauss (Ref. 6543) in 1956, before replacing it with another model the same year (Ref. 6541). The second reference had a short four-year production run, before it was replaced with a new model (Ref. 1019) in 1960. In 1988, the Swiss watchmaker axed the Milgauss collection entirely. Fast-forward to the new millennium, Rolex released a Milgauss (ref. 116400) in 2007, then nixed it in 2023. The Milgauss has the distinct honor of being the only Rolex to be discontinued twice. Enninful’s example (Ref. 116400GV) was released in honor of Rolex’s 50th anniversary. The highly anti-magnetic watch retains the character and function of its predecessors but is equipped with a green sapphire crystal that celebrates that 50th birthday. Such examples will run you around $10,000.
