Tock of the town: Celebrities and the jaw-dropping watches they wore to Met Gala 2023

SINGAPORE – They came, like moths to a flame, for fashion’s glitziest night. 

Dressing to the nines was de rigueur for the by-invite-only Met Gala, and the guests – including A-listers from Tinseltown and beyond –

did not disappoint.

Actor Jared Leto even came in a cat costume. 

And why not, since this year’s event – held in New York on Monday to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion wing – celebrated Karl Lagerfeld, whose

beloved cat Choupette is almost as famous

as the late designer himself.

The over-the-top costumes certainly turned heads, but the wrist wear did not do too shabby a job of making jaws drop as well.

The tickers that made an appearance that night were among some of the most coveted in the watch world. Several were new releases too, having been launched recently at the Watches & Wonders trade fair in Geneva.

Here are some of the snazziest timepieces from the Met Gala 2023.

Roger Federer - Rolex Perpetual 1908

Retired Swiss tennis star Roger Federer cut a dapper James Bond-like figure in his sharp tuxedo and cool glasses, a look made even slicker by the Rolex Perpetual 1908 on his wrist.

Introduced at April’s Watches & Wonders, the dress watch is Rolex’s first entirely new model since 2012’s Sky Dweller. The one that Federer – who was a co-chair for this year’s Met Gala – sported has a white gold case and an intense black dial.

Price: $32,550

Michelle Yeoh - Richard Mille RM 07-01 with diamonds

The Malaysian actress – who recently won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as a harassed housewife in the sci-fi comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once – has been a Richard Mille Ambassador since 2011.

In fact, she has collaborated with the watchmaker to create two jewellery pieces for women: the RM 051 and RM 51-01 Tourbillon.

At the Met Gala, she flaunted a diamond-studded RM 07-01 fashioned from, among other materials, Carbon TPT (Thin Ply Technology), the brand’s proprietary composite. Instead of a bling-fest bracelet, she opted for a plain black strap to complement her classic black-and-white Lagerfeld ball gown.

Price: Upon request

Nicole Kidman - Omega Saphette Jewellery Watch

Australian actress Nicole Kidman was quite a vision, decked out in a pink tulle gown embellished with ostrich feathers, sequins and silver crystals. The couture gown was the same one she wore for a 2004 Chanel No. 5 commercial directed by film-maker Baz Luhrmann.

On her wrist was an Omega Saphette jewellery watch from 1955, so named because of the sparkling crystal on the face of the watch. Fitted with a black suede bracelet, the Omega museum piece has an 18K white-gold case with a silver dial and an array of fantasy attachments set with eight round diamonds.

Price: Unavailable

Jackson Wang - Cartier Tank Cintree Skeleton

Hong Kong-born pop star Jackson Wang channelled the late Lagerfeld with a pair of cool shades, leather gloves and an embellished Louis Vuitton jacket.

His wrist game was on trend: He wore the Cartier Tank Cintree Skeleton, which has an extraordinary movement – the Caliber 9917 that is curved to fit the shape of the timepiece. It is a limited edition, launched in 2017 to celebrate the Tank’s 100th anniversary.

Price: $115,000

Rami Malek - Cartier Tank Louis Cartier

Talk about being contrarian. At an event where being over the top is encouraged and lauded, American actor Rami Malek – who played the late rock star Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) – chose a fuss-free but tasteful black-and-white ensemble.

His choice of watch was equally low-key yet classy: the new 33.7mm Tank Louis Cartier, featuring a square gold case and a black dial without numerals.

Price: $18,600

Bella Ramsey - Hublot Big Bang Steel White Diamonds 38mm

Bella Ramsey is the newly minted star of The Last Of Us, the HBO post-apocalyptic TV series based on a 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog. The 19-year-old turned up in a smart black Thom Browne ensemble comprising jacket, skirt and pants emblazoned with pearls.

On the English actress’ wrist was the Hublot Big Bang Steel White Diamonds 38mm. Featuring a stainless-steel case with a diamond-studded bezel, the watch is paired with a structured rubber strap.

Price: $15,300

Eileen Gu - IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years” and IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34

United States-born Olympic medallist and freestyle skier Eileen Gu rocked the red carpet in a wine-stain gown by Hong Kong-born and London-based haute couturier Robert Wun, with matching crushed velvet pink full-length gloves.

She wore two timepieces, both by IWC: the limited-edition 18K red-gold IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years” pocket watch, and the IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34, with a pink calfskin strap.

Prices: IWC Tribute to Pallweber Edition “150 Years” ($98,600) and IWC Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 ($29,100)

James McAvoy - Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph

Scottish actor James McAvoy cut a dashing figure in a snazzy black suit, white shirt, waistcoat, bejewelled black tie and shiny black shoes. The Scottish actor, known for his Professor X roles in the X-Men films (2000 to 2020), also carried a little black fan, a nod to Lagerfeld, who was always seen with one.

His ticker of choice was the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph, which created quite a stir at Watches & Wonders in Geneva. It boasts an 18K pink-gold case and an hour-minute display on its two dials, one of which is skeletonised and highlights the intricacies of the new Manufacture Calibre 860 and the mechanical complexity of the retrograde chronograph.

Price: $54,500