Want more insider watch coverage? Get Box + Papers, GQ's newsletter devoted to the watch world, sent to your inbox every Friday. Sign up here.
This isn’t the first time Gen Z superstar Jacob Elordi rocked a Cartier Tank in public, and we doubt it’ll be the last.
The Euphoria star, previously spotted wearing a Tank Normale in 18-karat yellow gold, seems to have a soft spot for the iconic dress watch. Though he was once an ambassador for TAG Heuer, it’s the Tank that he’s worn to two separate appearances while promoting Sofia Coppola’s new film Priscilla, in which he plays Elvis. This week, he pulled out yet another beautiful model, a diamond-studded Tank Must, on The Today Show, proving that the moderately sized, slim-wearing watch is alive and well among today’s young collectors.
Unlike the solid-gold Normale, the Tank Must is more of a bare-bones, entry-level model. This particular version, however, adds diamonds to the watch’s famous brancards, turning a somewhat pedestrian reference into a stealthy flex with 42 brilliant-cut stones and a synthetic cabochon crown. Powered by a high-autonomy quartz movement, it might not have the Normale’s horological cachet, but it should certainly appeal to watch lovers both casual and serious—and it’s fairly widely available for $6,850.
In case you missed the Must craze: Back in the 1970s, Cartier released an affordable line of paired-down fare—watches, perfumes, and more—that offered the maison’s class at a more palatable price. These (now vintage) Must de Cartier Tanks used gold vermeil cases and quartz movements, and until recently, could often be had for under $1,000 on online watch exchanges. However, Cartier surprised the watch world back in 2021, relaunching the Must line with a series of colorful dials, solar-powered movements, and even a “leather” band made from recycled apple cores.
Nowadays, it’s cool to own a Must—though, to be fair, a solid-gold Tank still reigns supreme among both the watch and the fashion set. Elordi’s choice thus smacks of horological and sartorial awareness, with the diamonds helping it ride the line between classic Cartier and the brand’s push into more affordable territory (again). However you look at it, it’s a cool watch—and a great choice for an actor who’s cutting his teeth playing iconic figures whose impact on the zeitgeist can’t be overstated.
While Sly may be most readily associated with Panerai—whose conversion from military to civilian watchmaker he helped bring about—the Rocky actor is a dedicated Rolex collector, and has been spotted wearing everything from modern GMT-Master IIs to vintage Daytonas. Speaking of which: Just this week he was snapped courtside at an NBA game rocking a to-die-for vintage reference 6265 with tropical subdials. In production from roughly 1971 through 1987, the 6265 features screw-down pushers, the Valjoux 727 hand-wound movement, either a stainless steel or a solid-gold case, and one of several dial configurations—including the famous “Paul Newman” dial from Singer. This version, with its brown chronograph totalizers, is arguably even cooler.
Kumail Nanjiani is no stranger to a good watch, having worn a frosted AP Royal Oak in Eternals and a Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167R on Hot Ones. This week, while performing at The Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, CA, the Pakistani-American funnyman rocked a deep cut from the Rolex catalog, a GMT-Master ref. 1675/3 from the 1980s. Nicknamed the “Root Beer” for its multi-color black-and-brown bezel, the 1675/3 is somewhat of a divisive watch, with some absolutely in love with its unique colorway and “nipple” dial, and others feeling that its two-tone aesthetic makes it look like something a used car salesman would rock in a kitschy commercial. On Nanjiani’s wrist, however, matched to a blue knit polo and worn with confidence, it looks classy and refined.
While Argentinian soccer phenom Lionel Messi has long been known as a serious watch collector, many of the pieces we’ve seen him wearing are largely predictable watch-guy fare: various complicated Nautilii; sporty, precious-metal Rolexes, etc. His latest wrist companion is a notable departure from all that, however, representing Louis Vuitton’s foray into luxury sports watches in the form of the newly redesigned Tambour. Housed in a yellow gold case with an integrated bracelet and boasting an in-house LV movement from La Fabrique du Temps, LV’s movement division, the Tambour is a striking piece—especially when paired with Messi’s matching LV tuxedo, as worn to the Ballon D’Or ceremony this week. For those wondering whether young Jean Arnault has what it takes to convert Louis Vuitton into a respectable, high-end watchmaker a la Bvlgari, it should serve as a resounding affirmation.
US Open winner and Masters Tournament champion Jon Rahm is a Rolex guy—which is why it wasn’t too surprising to see him rock a “Rainbow” Daytona at Game 4 of the World Series this past week. (While standing next to Michael Phelps in a Seamaster 300, no less.) Though the Spanish golfer was dressed more for the links than the ballfield, he paired his Green Jacket to a most excellent timepiece, indeed: The “Rainbow,” which he picked up following his U.S. Open win in 2021, features an Everose case and a stunning bezel set with 36 multi-colored, baguette-cut sapphires. (As if that weren’t enough, it also packs 56 diamonds into the mid-case, and comes paired to a matching Everose Oyster bracelet.) Rare and, ahem, expensive, it’s most definitely a watch of champions, which is why it looks so darn good on Rahm’s wrist.