Feature: The Best TV Series For Watch Spotters
It can only be a matter of time—if it hasn’t already happened—before the title ‘watch consultant’ begins to appear regularly on the closing credits of TV shows and movies. Stylists, wardrobe assistants and their ilk are increasingly aware that a timepiece can speak volumes about its wearer.
Whereas in times gone by, an actor or actress might have worn their own watch or simply gone without, these days it’s almost as important as their clothing or haircut.
Which is why luxury watches are getting increasing visibility on the small screen, with some of the biggest shows in recent years tapping into the interest in watches and capitalising on this subtle-but-effective way to bring a character to life, imbue them with a hint of adventure, affluence or refinement.
Maybe you’ve seen some of these hit shows already, but all the great TV series are worth revisiting at some point, even if it’s just to check out what’s on the wrists of the cast. We look at some of the best ones out there for all you eagle-eyed watch aficionados…
(Some) Criminals Have Good Taste
Mafia dons and global drug cartel leaders may not be the nicest people in the world, but they’re usually wealthy, with no qualms about flaunting it. The Sopranos featured a crew of New Jersey mobsters who didn’t have the cachet or fat wallets of their New York neighbours but still had admirable watch collections.
Much has been made of the yellow gold Rolex Day-Date often worn by head of the family, Tony Soprano. But it’s his loose-cannon nephew Christopher Moltisanti who gets a special mention for his unorthodox brand choice.
Throughout the series, Chris displays a penchant for Cartier that makes you wonder whether he didn’t rob the whole store. As well as a yellow gold Tank, he wears a Pasha Grille—perhaps hoping it’s ‘caged’ dial will protect it from any hitman’s bullets—and even the discontinued Roadster with its distinctive tonneau case.
Cartier is a firm favourite with one member of The Sopranos clan
Down in South America, among the drug cartels of Colombia and Mexico, yellow gold is also de rigueur, with the notorious Pablo Escobar wearing a Rolex quartz Cellini in the first series of Narcos. In its spin-off series, Narcos Mexico, the aviator and drug lord Amado Carrillo Fuentes wears a yellow gold Daytona with diamond numerals and champagne dial.
And while we’re on the subject of drug dealers, let’s give a mention to Breaking Bad's’s Walter White who ensures he’s always on time for appointments with his crystal meth distributors thanks to a classic blue-dial TAG Heuer Monaco, once worn by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans.
The Retro Selection
One of the most sartorially influential shows in TV history, Mad Men triggered a menswear deluge of slim-fitting suits, meticulously folded pocket handkerchiefs and tie-clips. Set in a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the 1960s, the show’s cast wore some incredible watches from the era, from Tudors to Omegas.
One of the iconic watches worn by Mad Men's dapper Don Draper
The suave Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm, was the star of the show and got to wear an array of iconic watches, from a Rolex Explorer to a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso and Memovox. Jaeger-LeCoultre even came out with a limited-edition Mad Men tribute watch inspired by the show.
Don Draper also wore a Rolex Explorer
Draper’s wise-cracking boss, Roger Sterling, wore a Tudor Oyster Prince with ‘tuxedo’ dial, while there are also several Hamiltons on display, worn by different characters throughout the series (look-out for a rather funky Sputnik model worn by Pete Campbell).
Set in the same era was the recent The Queen's Gambit where the lead character, played by Anya Taylor Joy, wears a gold Bulova, gifted to her by her mother. Bulova was a hugely popular brand in the US in the 50s and 60s and is still based in New York today. The props department got this one spot-on.
Contemporary Classics
The TV series on everyone’s lips recently, Succession is a black-comedy drama loosely based on the Murdoch family and its sprawling media empire. With this kind of affluence comes an enviable selection of high-end watches, and so we have a number of characters sporting some of Switzerland’s finest.
The characters in HBO's hit series Succession wear some serious timepieces
Kendall Roy, played by Jeremy Strong, is the heir apparent of the business and his watch collection bears testament to this, with a couple of stunning Vacheron Constantins—a Traditionelle World Time and a Harmony Monopusher chronograph—plus an obligatory Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711.
Several high-end pieces, including a Nautilus, adorn the wrist of Kendall Roy in Succession
Meanwhile, his brother Roman, played by Kieran Culkin, keeps things stealthy with a simple, silver-dial Rolex Datejust.
Best watch-related line ever used in a TV script, however, must go to the character of Panerai-wearing Tom Wambsgans, who gifts an unknown Patek model to his future father-in-law and family patriarch, Logan Roy, played by veteran Scottish actor Brian Cox.
“It's incredibly accurate," he tells him as he hands it over in the pilot episode. "Every time you look at it, it tells you exactly how rich you are."
