Dressed To The Nines, Timed To Perfection: Timepieces That Slayed The Met Gala
7 min read
At the Met Gala, fashion is theatre. It's drama stitched in silk, chaos woven in couture. But amid the over-the-top trains, bejewelled headpieces, and viral moments, there was one detail we couldn’t take our eyes off: the watches. Quietly peeking from under tailored cuffs and velvet gloves, these timepieces were doing the most without saying a word.
This year's Met Gala, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” paid homage to the rich legacy of Black dandyism a cultural movement where fashion becomes both art and assertion. The accompanying dress code, “Tailored For You,” encouraged attendees to reinterpret classic tailoring through personal and cultural lenses, resulting in a tapestry of bespoke ensembles that honored tradition while embracing individuality. This year, the real red carpet winners were the ones who let their wrists do the talking. From diamond-drenched megawatt flexes to stealthy indie marvels, here’s a roundup of the watches that truly understood the Met Gala assignment.
The King is here
Shah Rukh Khan in Patek Philippe Grand Complication Reference 5304R
King Khan arrived like royalty reborn, swathed in custom couture by Sabyasachi and a commanding presence. On his wrist, a miracle in motion: the Patek Philippe Ref. 5304R Grand Complication. This rose gold masterpiece, lavished with 80 baguette-cut diamonds (~6.22 cts) on the bezel, lugs, and clasp, shimmered under the Met lights like a constellation frozen in time. But its true magic lay in its transparency. With sapphire crystal disks displaying a retrograde perpetual calendar and a minute repeater chiming quietly beneath the surface, the watch revealed its complications like whispered secrets. The engraved “leaf” motif on the case’s white gold inserts added a poetic nod to craftsmanship, while the rose gold mini-rotor peeked through the caseback like a heartbeat in gold. On a night celebrating Black style, elegance, and tailored expression, Shah Rukh’s timepiece was a fitting tribute to timeless legacy.
Unapologetically cultural
Diljit Dosanjh in Panthère de Cartier
Diljit Dosanjh turned the Met steps into his personal stage, fusing red carpet elegance with unapologetic Punjabi flair and on his wrist was pure feline luxury: the Panthère de Cartier watch. More than just a watch, this piece is a full-on jewel. Crafted in 18k rose gold and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, it shimmered like a secret spotlight every time it peeked out from under his sleeve. The double-loop bracelet, with its sensual, panther-like flow, echoed the fluidity of Diljit’s charisma refined, playful, and quietly commanding. In a room filled with maximalism and tailored theatrics, this watch struck a different chord: one of graceful power and timeless glamour. In true Punjabi style the watch is a Cartier roar, delivered with a velvet touch.
Poised and Polished
Walton Goggins in Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface
Walton Goggins brought brooding charm to the Met carpet and his watch was right in step. The Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar Openface isn’t loud, but it doesn’t need to be. Its layered, architectural dial reveals the movement beneath, showing off the intricate ballet of the complete calendar: day, date, month, and moonphase without ever feeling overworked. The openworked design strikes that perfect balance between transparency and tradition, a nod to Goggins’ own mix of classic tailoring and offbeat charisma. Framed in 18k white gold, with a moonphase that catches the light just enough to suggest something cosmic, the watch felt like a gentleman’s secret both complex and confident at the same time.
Billionaire Energy
Maluma in Jacob & Co. Emerald Billionaire III
When Maluma hit the carpet, there was a moment of collective awe and it wasn’t just the eye-catching suit. His Jacob & Co. Emerald Billionaire III was a walking spotlight, drenched in over 189 carats of emerald-cut diamonds, set in 18K white gold. Underneath all that flash? A skeletonized, tourbillon-equipped calibre with a 72-hour power reserve. Because yes, it’s an actual high-complication watch just one that happens to blind you with brilliance. The Emerald Billionaire is a statement of success, excess, and unapologetic swagger.
Indie and Intense
Saquon Barkley in H. Moser & Cie Endeavour Tourbillon Concept Vantablack
No indices, no logo just the pure, unfathomable depth of Vantablack, the darkest man-made substance in the world. Saquon Barkley’s H. Moser Endeavour Tourbillon Concept proves that sometimes, less is literally everything. The flying tourbillon floats at 6 o’clock, a mesmerizing counterpoint to the black void that surrounds it. With a 42mm white gold case and a hand-wound calibre HMC 804, this piece is as technically serious as it is stylistically bold. It’s also a bit of an insider move Moser isn’t your mainstream red carpet brand, and that’s exactly what makes this choice so cool.
Tech Flex, But Make It Haute
A$AP Rocky in Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra
A$AP Rocky doesn't follow trends, he sets them. And at this year’s Met Gala, his choice of timepiece proved once again that minimalism, when executed with precision, can be the boldest statement of all. Enter the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, the thinnest mechanical watch ever to be COSC-certified, featuring the manually wound BVL180 calibre that beats at a high-frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz). It’s a watch that defies dimensions- just 1.70mm thick, yet packed with innovation, including a regulator display spread across the wafer-thin dial. On Rocky’s wrist, the Octo Finissimo felt less like a timekeeper and more like a blueprint for what modern luxury should look like: stripped down, deeply engineered, and effortlessly cool.
The Silent Heavyweight
Henry Golding in Cartier Tank à Guichet
Henry Golding, meanwhile, brought vintage elegance to the spotlight with the Cartier Tank à Guichet, a rarely seen jump hour model that dates back to 1928. The watch features no hands, no dial—just a clean case with small apertures to display the time. The kind of piece you only wear if you really know watches, and we’re here for that kind of horological humility.
Frosted and Fabulous
Simone Biles in Audemars Piguet Mini Frosted Royal Oak in White Gold
Gold medalist, style icon, and now red carpet standout, Simone Biles showed up wearing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Mini Frosted Gold in white gold. At 23mm, it’s delicately sized but full of power, especially with the iconic hammered “frosted” finish designed in collaboration with Carolina Bucci. The shimmering surface catches light like sequins, but with Audemars Piguet’s sharp geometry and legendary Royal Oak silhouette underneath. It’s part jewellery, part horology and all Simone. Feminine, strong, and far from ordinary.
A Daring Double-Faced Delight
Usher in Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto
Usher turned heads with a surprising choice: the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto, a slim and elegant model that puts even the most flashy timepieces to shame. The Reverso Duetto features two dials one light and minimalist, the other dark and dazzling with diamonds both powered by the same manual-winding calibre. It’s poetic, it’s reversible, and it’s totally in tune with the night’s theme of duality, glamour, and reinvention. Just like a perfect chorus, this watch hit all the right notes.
Dazzling in Diamonds
Jeff Goldblum in Jacob & Co. Ashoka Boutique Timepiece
Only Jeff Goldblum could walk into the Met Gala looking like a surrealist dream in a tuxedo—and make you believe that time, too, has a sense of humor. On his wrist? The unapologetically lavish Jacob & Co. Ashoka Boutique timepiece, a dazzling spectacle that blends haute horlogerie with high jewelry. With Ashoka-cut diamonds meticulously set across the case and bracelet, the watch wasn’t just sparkling—it was performing. The Ashoka cut, known for its elongated shape and brilliant facets, gave the piece a liquid shimmer, like stardust frozen mid-motion. But beneath the sparkle is signature Jacob & Co. precision: bold design, Swiss mechanics, and a flair for the theatrical. In Goldblum’s world, time isn’t linear—it’s fabulous, and possibly jazz-inflected. This watch? Pure, glittering punctuation to his wonderfully offbeat style sentence.
Time Was the Real Star
As the camera flashes faded and the gowns swept up the stairs of the Met, one truth remained: this year, the red carpet wasn’t just about couture. It was about craft. About storytelling in steel, diamonds, gold, and concept dials. A reminder that time, even on the most glamorous night of the year, is still the ultimate luxury. And in the world of high fashion, that kind of statement always runs on time.
