Some actors live and breathe their blockbuster subjects more than others. The levels Austin Butler went to to mirror Elvis Presley’s voice is the stuff of many a viral meme – indeed, after his Oscars acceptance speech in 2023 it looked like the deep southern drawl was here to stay forever. Today, six months on from stealing the limelight in Masters of the Air (aka Steven Spielberg’s flying version of Band of Brothers ) it seems Butler is still clinging on to idea of being a pilot – his watch choice is the giveaway.
In recent years, all Butler’s notable watch-wearing exploits have involved him rocking Cartier Tanks on red carpets – and looking dastardly sophisticated while doing so – but last week while cruising through arrivals at New York’s JFK airport , he was spotted wearing something a lot more sporty and cool – Breitling ’s Chronomat B01 42. Best known for its iconic Navitimer pilot watches and Superocean dive watches, the Chronomat is perhaps Breitling’s most underrated watch model. This flyboy favourite is also one of the reasons why the brand, celebrating the big 140 anniversary this year, is continuing to assert its dominance in mid-range sports watches.
40 years ago, this mechanical chronograph was launched to bolster Breitling’s strong aviation credentials, and to this day that’s what it’s continuing to do. This particular model is available on a rubber strap or metal bracelet, so the fact Butler has gone for the latter in steel (there’s gold too) demonstrates a desire to amp up the dressiness of this otherwise lowkey horological choice. And at under £8k, it's a watch you can save up for in no time at all.
Austin Butler’s Bikeriders co-star has also been keeping paparazzi busy in airports as he was also seen pacing through arrivals with the obligatory baseball cap on as well as an “In Renzo We Trust” tee . But the main talking point on Tom Hardy’s look was his trusty Rolex Submariner , which is fair to say he uses as his daily beater – but for a couple of Bremont watches, Hardy is almost always wearing this steel Rolex with ceramic bezel. Like the Venom star, the watch is rugged, sporty and not afraid of being bashed around a bit (he’s a jiu-jitsu pro too, you know).
For the opening day of the new Prem season, Ipswich Town’s most famous fan (and now part-owner) stuck to team colours on the wrist (he was rocking the same blue ceramic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked in his ‘Tractor Boys Are Back’ video that has gone viral). But for his surprise appearance on stage with TayTay at Wembley, the mood demanded something same same but different – his AP RO Double Balance Wheel Openworked in black ceramic. In the name of being honest, the likelihood of any Swifties noticing Ed Sheeran casually (and coolly) wearing a watch worth £87,700 while the duo performed a mashup of hits ‘End Game’, ‘Everything Has Changed’ and ‘Thinking Out Loud’ is slim.
But we’re here to tell you that he did, and while you're here know this: since Audemars Piguet dropped this black beauty, ceramic as a watch material has never been hotter..
