On today’s Under the Loupe, I’m talking about the watches worn by some of the world’s most powerful and wealthiest men. These guys can wear any watch they want, why did they choose what’s on their wrist?
Justin Trudeau Wears This Luxury Watch
As a Canadian, I figured the first person I had to cover was our prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Now, he’s been spotted many times wearing an IWC Regulator. This is a very interesting watch that has a unique time display format, in that the minutes, seconds, and hours are all in different sub-dials. They never actually tell time the same way as a standard watch would.
This was actually a complication used by watchmakers so that they can ultimately sync all of their clocks and pocket watches very easily since the second indicator was super easy to find and sync with all the other timekeeping devices. As well as, of course, the minutes and the hours.
Ultimately, it’s powered by a fascinating pocket watch movement that’s manual winding. I think this is a really unique watch from IWC that is great, and that potentially they can even explore doing it again in the future because it is such a clean and very nice design overall.
Elon Musk Wears This Luxury Watch
Now, let’s talk about the famous tech billionaire turned space cowboy, Elon Musk. Of course, in true Elon Musk fashion, he has to don the wrist with an RM. This is actually the Richard Mille 29. It’s a watch that’s very interesting in that it’s kind of a skeletonized dial.
It is a watch that definitely is attention-seeking, as Elon Musk can be sometimes. Our very own Roman Sharf recently “sold” 3 watches to Elon Musk, take a look at what they were here.
Jack Dorsey Wears This Luxury Watch
Next is the former leader and head of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.
Now, he actually wears a super interesting watch that I really personally like. That’s from a super underrated brand, at least by modern standards, from Cartier. He actually wears the Cartier Crash. His is a really interesting version in that it’s in a rose gold case and fully skeletonized.
Now, this was a watch that was actually made in the 60s that actually has a very interesting story. There are really three stories that people point to. The story that most people are familiar with is the supposed crash story, which is where the nickname is actually derived from.
That is when a Cartier client was wearing a Cartier Baignoire Allongée that ultimately got wrecked in a car crash. That person brought that watch back to Cartier, Cartier took a mold of the watch and ultimately produced the Cartier Crash as we know it today.
Now, that is really an urban myth and legend, because while there are no records of that watch itself, Cartier certainly would have kept it for their records had it been the case. Now that we’ve established that the crash story is really more a myth than reality, let’s get into what I feel are really the reasons that this watch was designed.
The first is, of course, the fact that it’s a product of the time it was made. The Crash was originally made in the 60s, which was a huge time for social and political change. Not just there were huge social and political movements, but also fashion, design, and music was just completely altered during this era.
Really the Crash is a byproduct of the era it was made in. It’s a very unique, very avant-garde design if you will call it, from a brand that typically has very classy and classic designs that are typically timeless.
The Crash is something that is totally not Cartier, and yet it works because it’s unique and unlike anything else. For that reason, that was one of the stories Jean-Jacques Cartier, the man who really designed this watch, originally made the Crash.
In my opinion, that’s not the real reason. This goes into the third story which is frequently referred to as the real reason the Cartier Crash was made. Now, this was the 60s and there were many artists that were prominent, one of them being Salvador Dalí.
Jean-Jacques Cartier, who was the head of Cartier at the time, was a real fan of his work. You can definitely find a lot of Dalí impersonation and a lot of Dalí’s inspiration in the Cartier Crash, primarily if you refer to one of his art pieces. Obviously, these melting clocks look a lot like the melting clock design of the Cartier Crash.
Now, Salvador Dalí actually worked with a watch brand prior to the Cartier Crash being released, and that brand was Bvlgari. Apparently, Jean-Jacques Cartier was extremely offended and did not like the fact that Salvador Dalí was working with Bvlgari as opposed to Cartier. He really made this piece as a statement, and it sure definitely sent a shockwave to the watch industry.
Ultimately, I think this is a really cool elegant, and quirky design that is definitely evocative of the 60s. Also, I think is a testament to the timeless quality with which Cartier watches are made. At the end of the day, this is still a very relevant design.
One of these watches actually from the 60s just sold at auction for over a million dollars, and it’s become an extremely popular watch because it’s donned the wrist of a number of celebrities, namely Kanye West as well as Tyler, the Creator.
At the end of the day, it’s just a watch that’s unlike anything else. I think it’s super classy and really amazing. Now, moving on to the president of my new home country, the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
Joe Biden Wears This Luxury Watch
Joe Biden was actually spotted with a Rolex Datejust. Now, his specific reference, I guess, is referred to now as the Biden Special or the Biden Datejust, in that it has a smooth bezel with a jubilee bracelet and a blue dial and stick indices.
I actually think this is a phenomenal watch and a great-looking one. I think it’s a great alternative from Rolex for your AP Royal Oaks, or your Patek Nautilus, as in your blue dial sports watches.
Because this is super versatile with that smooth bezel, I think it’s both sporty, but can also be dressed up in the same way that a Nautilus or Royal Oak can be. Overall, not much needs to be said. It’s a very rugged and durable watch. It wears super well and has that awesome jubilee bracelet from Rolex, which I think personally is one of if not their best bracelets.
Again, I think the format of this Datejust is super versatile and really lends itself to any occasion.
Prince Charles Wears This Luxury Watch
The next watch is fit for a prince, Prince Charles, that is. Now, he actually has a very interesting taste in watches, in that it’s really different from the norm essentially. He actually wears a Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph.
Now, this is a really interesting watch, first and foremost, for the movement that powers it. It’s actually the Zenith El Primero, a movement that was featured not only in obviously El Primero watches, but also in the Rolex Daytona, for example.
It’s a legendary chronograph movement in that it was the first Swiss fully automatic chronograph movement that was also a high beat movement. Now, this watch has a really interesting design in that it’s in yellow gold with a double step case and a Guilloché dial.
It represents a time in Parmigiani Fleurier’s history before they became a fully integrated manufacturer. Nowadays they’re a high-quality watchmaker and watch brand that ultimately makes everything in-house. They’re fully vertically integrated.
From their dials to their cases to their movement components, to their movements themselves, they’re all completely made in-house by Parmigiani Fleurier. This is one of these brands that are completely toxic on the resale market. We’re talking 30% to 50% off all day on a Parmigiani Fleurier.
That really represents a lot of value for those in the know and those who really appreciate those finer details in watches. I have to admit, this is actually a very interesting and unique choice from the future king of England that I personally really appreciate because it’s so different from the norm and so different from what we would expect somebody who is in a prominent position to wear.
Last but certainly not least is the wannabe space cowboy, Jeff Bezos.
Jeff Bezos Wears This Luxury Watch
We all love Jeff. He actually wears a watch that’s extremely popular in the watch industry, and that is the Omega Speedmaster. He recently wore it on his trip to space, which ultimately corroborated the fact that this new generation of Speedmasters is flight ready and can actually go to space.
Now, the Speedmaster obviously has a tremendous history and heritage, mostly known for it being the first watch worn on the moon. However, it is important to note that the Speedmaster actually started not as a chronograph but as a racing chronograph.
The original Speedmaster was the reference CK2915 that was originally released in 1957. It was only later on that the Speedmaster became the moon watch, and became that watch that could be worn in space.
I think ultimately that history and heritage are awesome. The Speedmaster itself is one of, if not the most iconic watches in the world today. Of course, is, in my opinion, the most iconic chronograph ever made for that specific reason. I mean, come on, it went to space and it was worn on the moon.
The watch he’s wearing is the Hesalite version as opposed to the Sapphire Crystal version because that’s the only one that can be worn in space. He wore it to space on a really interesting Blue Origin strap that was made by Omega and that actually became a release from Omega that could be bought by us consumers.
Overall, it’s the Speedmaster, not much else needs to be said. It’s a classic watch that is iconic. Ultimately, it’s a timeless classic that will continue to endure for the next 300 to 8,000 years.
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