More Celebrities Are Becoming ‘Watch Monogamists’

Male celebrities that are faithful to one watch and one watch only are becoming increasingly common.

More Celebrities Are Becoming ‘Watch Monogamists’

Most male celebrities, once they’ve made the big time, quickly start collecting watches. Nothing wrong with that – if there weren’t Hollywood superstars, NBA players and hip-hop artists out there with a taste for fine timepieces, us watch fans would be worse off. Call it patronage of the arts.

But watch brands might need to keep their eyes on a growing trend among male celebrities: ‘watch monogamy’. That is, they only wear one watch. They’re only loyal to one watch.

We first noticed it with Jack Harlow, the Tyler Herro and Industry Baby rapper who’s making waves in the music industry. You’d think that the first thing a rapper on the come-up like him would do would be to buy some outrageous chains and an iced-out watch – or three. Nope.

Instead, Harlow almost exclusively wears one watch and one watch only: his Rolex Sky-Dweller ref. 326934-0003 in stainless steel and white gold.

Image: @jackharlow / Rolex

Now, this is hardly a cheap watch. But it’s by no means the most expensive Rolex one can buy. It’s not even the most expensive Sky-Dweller. But Harlow’s faithfulness when it comes to his Sky-Dweller is to be admired… And he’s not the only big-name celeb who appears to only rock one watch.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and second in line to the British throne, famously only wears a mid-size quartz OMEGA Seamaster Professional 300M, a gift from his late mother, Princess Diana. It’s a touching way to remember his mum – but also demonstrates his more grounded, personable nature compared to, say, his father. Prince Charles has always had a somewhat laissez-faire approach to monogamy (and we’re not just talking about watches)…

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Another watch monogamist is Independence Day actor Jeff Goldblum, who only ever wears his gold Cartier Tank: a classic dress watch that often sits in stark contrast to the eclectic outfits he’s become known for in recent years. The Tank is a watch favoured by many celebrities, including Bill Murray and Tyler, the Creator – but none are as dedicated to the thing as Goldblum.

Images: Getty / Esquire

Of course, there’s another type of ‘watch monogamy’ that watch brands rather celebrate: collectors who are obsessed with one model in particular and just buy heaps of them.

Comedian Kevin Hart is a prime example. Hart might have one of the most impressive and diverse watch collections in Hollywood, but he’s absolutely besotted with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The Man owns literally dozens of examples of the desirable luxury sports watch, in stainless steel, ceramic and precious metals and with a wide array of complications.

Irish MMA fighter Conor McGregor, on the other hand, is obsessed with the Jacob & Co. Astronomia. He’s got a few, and he loves them so much he even works out with them – despite the fact they’re mostly made out of glass and are probably the worst choice for a workout watch on the planet.

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Images: @kevinhart4real / @thenotoriousmma

Of course, from a collector’s point of view, being loyal to a single brand can come with some real positives. If you’ve got an established purchasing history with a luxury watch brand, you’ll be moved further up the waiting lists on popular models which are otherwise near-impossible to get at retail, such as the Patek Philippe Nautilus or Rolex Daytona.

Ah, to be wealthy enough that worrying about ‘watch monogamy’ was the worst of my troubles…

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