This week, Cardi B wore a watch that we can only describe as a true “WAP.” You know: Wow, Amazing, Patek! Cardi wore a version of Patek Philippe’s World Time, which tracks the time in every one of the world’s time zones, released in an edition of 75 back in 2017. Along with folks like Rihanna and Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi is leading the charge for women who love watches. The Instagram page Dimepiece is dedicated to the growing number of women collectors, there when Mary-Kate Olsen wears her Rolex Day Date, the Hadids go shopping for an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, or when Nicki Minaj shows off a super-rare Richard Mille. And as more women embrace watches, more executives are sitting up and paying attention. The result is a move away from gendering watches and more women-focused marketing, according to a recent Business of Fashion report. Of course, when you’ve got an ambassador like Cardi B, you’ve got a head start.
Photo courtesy Cardi B
Cardi B’s Patek Philippe World Time
The World Time is one of Patek Philippe’s crown jewel models. Nearly every iteration of the watch, which Patek updates every handful of years, becomes a favorite among the brand’s collectors. This iteration of the watch is the women’s version of the model—Cardi’s bright blue model succeeded a previous brown one. Cardi’s is extra special, too, because although it’s built to keep eyes on the globe, it firmly retains its New York roots: on the dial is a drawing of the city’s skyline.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
LeBron James’s Rolex Daytona “Eye of the Tiger”
On its own, LeBron James’s special-edition “Eye of the Tiger” Daytona is a really dope watch. But there’s more to it than just that. James wore this very rare and precious Daytona this week, just a few weeks after his teammate Anthony Davis wore the exact same piece. This isn’t the first time the teammates have showcased their off-court synergy, either. In the bubble, both ‘Bron and Davis wore the James-designed Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore just a few days apart. It begs the question: do they just have a deep appreciation for each other’s taste—or are the two Lakers superstars sharing watches?
DJ Khaled’s Jacob & Co. Brilliant Flying Tourbillon Tsavorites
Here’s another women’s watch well deserving of the spotlight. This Jacob & Co. covered with 351 tsavorites (a green gemstone) is designed as a rebuke to the imbalance between men’s and women’s watches: “For too long, women have had to choose from restyled men’s watches if they wanted something with a mechanical heart,” the brand’s site reads. The watch doesn’t just have a quote-unquote “mechanical heart,” but does come with a tourbillon, one of the most complicated and prestigious mechanical complications. The watch, and DJ Khaled’s embrace of it, is proof of concept for an industry hoping to shed gender labels.
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Draymond Green’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept “Black Panther”
In an interview about his watch collection last October, Green told me that he sees accumulating pieces as a competition. In that case, this Black Panther-themed Audemars Piguet released early last month is a dream piece. Just a few weeks out of the gate, the piece has already spread across the sports world: folks like LeBron James and Neyma have already worn it. Not to be left behind, Green also got his hands on the piece in advance of ESPN’s special Marvel-themed presentation of a game between Green’s Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans. “Brag different,” he wrote on an Instagram Story featuring a close-up of his wrist.
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Jimmy Butler’s Tag Heuer Aquaracer
After years of wearing watches across the spectrum—from rainbow-bezel Rolex pieces to Patek’s famous Nautilus 5711—the NBA’s most lovable villain is settling down. Butler signed a deal with Tag Heuer, another example of the ways NBA players are transcending fashion and flexing their influence on high-priced luxury categories like watches. It’s hard to quibble with Butler’s choice: this week, he wore the brand’s sleek new Aquaracer. The flash of the camera makes the watch look redder than it is, but in reality the watch comes with a tortoiseshell-pattern bezel. What works for timeless pairs of sunglasses looks just as cool on this Aquaracer.