Feature: 24 iconic watches worn in movies
Spotting the timepieces worn by movie characters is now a common pastime for watch enthusiasts. And if you’re at home rather than the cinema, all the better. You can pause, zoom in, take a screenshot and ask a fellow watch lover for their informed opinion.
Best of all, there’s a wealth of classic movies going back decades where at least one of the cast wears an iconic watch.
Some watches get their screen time because the brand paid for the privilege. Some are chosen by the props department. And some—as was the case with Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT-Master in Apocalypse Now—are the actor’s personal timepiece, and no amount of coaxing is going to prise it off their wrist (although one suspects you wouldn't have much choice in the matter if you were playing, say, a medieval knight).
We’ve shortlisted 24 of the best watches that have appeared in a mainstream movie, from the silent-era of the 1920s to the big-budget CGI-fests of today.
Here they are, in no particular order…
Rolex Submariner, Dr No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
In Ian Fleming’s original novels, the exact Rolex model worn by James Bond was never made clear. So, the props department of the first ever Bond film, Dr No, could have chosen virtually any Rolex for cinema’s inaugural Bond actor, Sean Connery. An Explorer would have been an apt choice given that it was what Fleming himself wore. But they ultimately opted for a Submariner reference 6538, a no-nonsense stainless-steel dive watch that chimes perfectly with Bond’s naval background. Bond may now wear an Omega, but for many, he’ll always be a Rolex guy.
Tissot T-Touch, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
As a savvy adventurer, it’s no surprise that Lara Croft wears a hardy and functional watch, namely the digital T-Touch. Its standout feature is undoubtedly the touchscreen it’s named after—which made it an exciting and futuristic timepiece when the film was released in 2003. In the movie, we see Croft (Angelina Jolie), use the T-Touch’s unique screen to activate the compass mode—an actual feature on the timepiece. Other functions on the T-Touch include a thermometer, barometer, altimeter and alarm.
Rolex GMT-Master, Apocalypse Now (1979)
Image courtesy of Phillips
When Marlon Brando turned up on the set of Apocalypse Now he was several kilos overweight and hadn’t learnt his lines. To compound director Francis Ford Coppola’s frustration, he also refused to take off his personal Rolex GMT-Master reference 1675 whose red and blue “Pepsi” bezel was a distraction. What’s more, Coppola insisted that the watch was something Brando’s character Colonel Kurtz simply wouldn’t wear. In the end, a compromise was reached: Brando would remove the bezel but keep the watch on. Still, this was the least of their problems in a shoot that is now famous for being one of the most chaotic in cinema history. As for the watch, it remained in Brando’s family until 2019 when it was sold to a private buyer at a Phillips auction for $1,952,000.
TAG Heuer Carrera, Barbie (2023)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
Watch fans who couldn’t bear the idea of a movie about Barbie might still have been lured to the cinema by the prospect of seeing Ryan Gosling’s Ken wear not one but three vintage yellow-gold TAG Heuer chronographs. Pick of the bunch is this reference 1158 CH on a mesh strap, the kind of watch a 1970s Formula One driver might have worn at the Playboy Mansion. Forget the bright Barbie-pink spin-off watches that TAG Heuer released at the same time, the vintage ones in the film were the real deal.
Cartier Tank, The Son of the Sheikh (1926)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
Today, if a watch brand wanted Hollywood’s biggest star to wear one of its watches in a movie it would cost a sizeable chunk of its marketing budget. Luckily for Cartier it didn’t pay a penny for its Tank watch to be worn in The Son of the Sheikh, starring 1920s heartthrob Rudolph Valentino (think Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi and Austin Butler rolled into one). Valentino wore his personal Tank in practically every scene, and the film was a box-office smash, giving the watch the kind of global visibility and kudos no advertising campaign could have matched.
Piaget Gold Quartz Polo, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
A classic screwball comedy from the 1980s, Planes, Trains and Automobiles sees businessman Neal (Steve Martin) desperately trying to get home in time for Christmas, his efforts hampered by the hapless Del (John Candy). In a memorable scene, Neal, whose credit card has been burnt to a crisp in a car fire, gives away his watch and a small amount of money in return for a night’s stay in a motel. The timepiece in question? A gold quartz Piaget Polo, now a neo-vintage classic. When Del tries the same trade-off with his digital Casio (and, no, it’s not a G-Shock) he’s politely turned down by the motel receptionist.
Rolex GMT-Master “Root Beer”, Firefox (1982), Tightrope (1984) and In the Line of Fire (1993)
The two-tone Rolex GMT-Master with a gold and brown bezel is famously nicknamed the “Root Beer”, but it could easily have been called the “Clint Eastwood”. The legendary actor-director wore his personal timepiece, a reference 16753 on a Jubilee bracelet in at least three films, including the 1982 cold-war thriller Firefox in which he played US fighter pilot, Mitchell Gant. Should this watch ever find its way to auction it would almost certainly fetch a six-figure sum—although had it featured in the Dirty Harry scene where Clint utters the immortal words “Do you feel lucky, punk?”, it might have added another zero to the estimate.
Porsche Design Chronograph 1, Top Gun (1986) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
The employees at Porsche Design must have been rubbing their hands with glee when the Top Gun sequel was released in 2022. Maverick’s life might have changed in many ways since the 1980s, but he was still wearing his trusty PVD-coated Porsche Design Chronograph 1, and the brand must have seen a welcome spike in its sales figures that year. Despite its links with the luxury German car maker, Porsche Design watches are Swiss made and the brand has horological pedigree dating back to the 1970s. With its stealthy looks and a reliable Valjoux movement, it’s 100% a watch a fighter pilot would wear, even if other characters in the film wore IWC watches due to the brand’s long-standing partnership with the actual Top Gun flight school.
Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea, Argo (2012)
Argo garnered a lot of attention, not just because of its Oscar wins but its inclusion of a certain watch. Eagle-eyed watch nerds would have noticed the Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea worn by Tony (Ben Affleck). The decision to include this watch in the movie has been criticised because it’s a model from the 2000s, whereas the film is set in 1979. Whether you’re a stickler for the small details or not, you must admit this is one hell of a watch with its chunky case and whopping water resistance of up to 3,900m.
Hamilton Ventura, Blue Hawaii (1961)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
The brainchild of Richard Habib, who also designed boats and cars, the shield-shaped Ventura is an oddball that instantly appealed to young Americans of the late 1950s—not just because of its unconventional looks but because it was the first electric watch. When Elvis Presley wore one in the film Blue Hawaii it became a bonafide cultural icon. Production only ran for seven years but it was revived in 1988 and has been in the Hamilton line-up ever since, now with an automatic movement. Elvis owned several watches, including a Rolex Cellini in his later years, but the Ventura is the one that we associate with The King in his prime—snake-hipped, bequiffed and handsome, not a fat sweaty mess in a sequinned jumpsuit.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, End of Days (1999)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
Both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger helped usher in the era of big watches in the mid to late 1990s, Sly with his Panerai and Arnie with his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore. The latter, launched in 1993 to celebrate 30 years of the original Royal Oak, was a sportier, more muscular version of its predecessor. So it was the perfect watch for the steroid-enhanced Schwarzenegger, who wore this black PVD-coated stainless-steel version in the film End of Days. With only 500 pieces of the original reference 25770SN ever made, this distinctive chronograph with its yellow and black dial is now sought after among fans of the Offshore family.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph, F1 (2025)
IWC watches were all over the recent F1 movie, sponsoring the film’s fictional APXGP team. Veteran driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) wore a green Ingenieur, a family heirloom, but the film’s lead character, rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), got to wear the film’s real show-stopper. His Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 combines IWC’s 5N gold with a black lacquer dial and a black ceramic bezel, matching his team’s racing colours. A Formula One driver has never worn such a fine-looking tool watch on the track.
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, Apollo 13 (1995)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
For a legendary watch that went to the moon, the Speedmaster’s screen time pales in comparison to that of its brand sibling, the Seamaster. But it did get plenty of attention in Apollo 13, the true story of a near-disastrous NASA mission in which a Speedmaster played a crucial role in returning the astronauts safely to Earth. Tom Hanks is the star of the movie, but it is Kevin Bacon as Jack Swigert who wears the life-saving watch, precisely timing the rocket’s engine burns so that they were on the correct trajectory to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. You could say the Speedmaster was as much a hero in the film as the astronauts themselves.
Casio Calculator watch, Back to the Future (1985)
Image: Morn, Wikimedia Commons
Back to the Future features one of the best character-watch pairings in cinema history, thanks to the Casio worn by Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). Released in 1980, this multi-functional timepiece stands out due to its calculator keyboard positioned under the LCD screen. As well as the calculator, it features a handy stopwatch, multiple time zones and an alarm. This cult classic Casio continues to fascinate watch and technology enthusiasts alike, thanks to its undeniably cool, nostalgic appeal.
Bremont Special Edition Kingsman, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Considering Kingsman: The Secret Service is about a British spy organisation it makes sense that the team behind the first film in the series commissioned Bremont to supply its watches. The British brand created three special-edition chronographs for the agents, including characters played by Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Taron Egerton. The Kingsman Collection was even made available to the public. We particularly like the rose-gold reference BKM-RG, a world time model with a white dial bearing the Kingsman name on the 12 o’clock subdial.
Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newman’, Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
Ever since one of Paul Newman’s personal Daytonas became the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction, fetching a record-breaking $17.8 million, the ‘Paul Newman’ Daytonas have become hot property. Interestingly, the scene in which Pierre Png’s character, Michael Teo, receives this glorious vintage watch was filmed before the auction, making its inclusion incredibly timely. The Daytona shown on-screen is the reference 6263 with a classic panda dial.
Rolex Day-Date, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
The Rolex Day-Date is considered the ultimate status symbol thanks to its strong links to the rich and powerful, from world leaders to the CEOs of big-name brands. The Day-Date in Glengarry Glen Ross is owned by Alec Baldwin’s character, motivational trainer, Blake, and is certainly used as a symbol of status. This is evident after Blake tells real-estate salesman, Moss, that his yellow-gold watch “cost more” than Moss’s car in an aggressive speech that’s supposed to motivate the room to close more deals.
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, No Time to Die (2021)
No Time to Die is the most recent instalment in the Bond series and marked the last 007 film featuring Daniel Craig as Bond. It’s well documented that Omega supplies watches for Bond’s wrist, but other characters in the movies wear its watches too. This includes new agent, Nomi (Lashana Lynch), who wears a smart Seamaster Aqua Terra with a black dial and matching NATO strap. The dial boasts the collection’s signature horizontally striped “teak” pattern that’s inspired by the wooden decks of luxury sailboats.
Hamilton Khaki Field ‘Murph’, Interstellar (2014)
Hamilton would have been delighted at the amount of screen time its Khaki Field ‘Murph’ model got in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic, Interstellar. The custom-made timepiece worn by Murph—played by both Mackenzie Foy and Jessica Chastain—helped communicate Morse code through time and space. The Murph features a rugged 42mm brushed steel case and a black dial with pilot’s hands and aged lume. The Murph was so popular, Hamilton eventually released it to the public in 2019. A 38mm version followed in 2022, as did two new variations of the 38mm in 2024.
TAG Heuer Monaco, Le Mans (1971)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
TAG Heuer is a brand steeped in motor racing history, making it an obvious choice for a film set at the world-famous race, Le Mans. In the movie, Michael Delaney, played by late Hollywood icon, Steve McQueen, wears a TAG Heuer Monaco—the world’s first square-cased water-resistant chronograph. The watch featured a blue dial with contrasting white subdials and a leather strap. McQueen remains synonymous with the Monaco—an association we’re sure TAG Heuer is delighted with considering the actor’s nickname, the “King of Cool”.
Panerai Luminor, Daylight (1996)
Image courtesy of Phillips
In 1996 Panerai was a niche entity known only to those whose watch knowledge ran deep. And then Sylvester Stallone wore a Luminor in the film Daylight, setting the brand on the path to global recognition. Stallone was already a “Paneristi”, having discovered Panerai through his close friend, the Italian-based photographer Monty Shadow. And he would go on to wear several Panerais in real life, as well as collaborate with the brand on its limited-edition Slytech models. He even ended up turning his friend and rival, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on to Panerai.
TAG Heuer Link Chronograph, The Bourne Identity (2002)
The Bourne Identity is an iconic 2000s action-thriller and the first of five Bourne movies. In the film, fishermen rescue a wounded Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) from the ocean, and it soon becomes clear he’s suffering from amnesia. Bourne then goes to Zurich after finding an implant in his hip with a code leading him to a safe deposit box. In the box he finds his identity via an ID, as well as a TAG Heuer Link Chronograph—a watch centred in 1990s watch design. Bourne’s model features the classic Link bracelet with its S-shaped links and a black dial with Arabic numerals at 12, 3 and 9 o’clock.
Cartier Panthère, Challengers (2024)
On the surface Challengers may look like a film about tennis but it soon develops into a steamy psychological drama. Zendaya plays leading lady, Tashi, a competitive tennis prodigy who turns to coaching after suffering an injury. In one scene we see her sitting courtside wearing a crisp baby-blue shirt dress teamed with a sophisticated Cartier Panthère—a look that is one of her most stylish in the film. Actress, Zendaya, has frequently been spotted wearing a Panthère off screen too, so we suspect the one in the movie is from her personal collection.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M, No Time To Die (2021)
Omega saw out the Daniel Craig epoch in style, leaving what is arguably its best Bond-branded Seamaster until last. The ‘No Time To Die’ edition was the first ever titanium-cased Bond watch and boasted a distinct retro aesthetic. The tropical-style brown dial was complemented by faux-lume markers and was paired with a NATO strap or a supple Milanese bracelet. Bond’s military background is referenced with the broad arrow at 6 o’clock and it features the iconic 007 gun logo on the closed caseback. As with most Bond watches, it got plenty of screen time—money well spent by Omega.
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