John Mayer’s New Watch Is Already the Subject of Good Gossip

Welcome to Watches of the Week, where we’ll track the rarest, wildest, and most covetable watches spotted on celebrities.

John Mayer is an omnivorous watch collector. The fact he’s not tied to any one brand as an ambassador is part of what makes him so influential among enthusiasts: when he wears a certain watch, you know it’s because that’s the one he wants on his wrist. But! It’s clear that he does have a bestie in the watch industry: Audemars Piguet. I once watched him perform “Waitin’ on the World to Change” at a party for the brand’s collectors—and beyond that, his public appearances over the past year have been more Pigueted than before. In December, he shared that he and the brand are even working on a collaboration together. “It is the joy of my creative life,” he said. But that watch won’t be back until 2024, so Mayer wore the next-best thing: a new version of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. 

AP’s catalog is currently expanding in all sorts of exciting directions. Late last year, the brand brought back its Star Wheel, which uses a series of discs to spit out the time. AP has also been fine-tuning its Code 11:59, the tepidly received new line released in 2019, in ways that are making observers say: “Hey, I think I like this now!” 

While newness is fun, AP will always butter its bread with the Royal Oak. The watch’s ability to bulk up and morph into the Offshore or simply try on different materials, colors, and functions is unparalleled. The Royal Oak is the Rihanna and A$AP Rocky of the watch world: it looks good in everything! Mayer’s watch is more proof of that. The singer’s model, which was quietly released at the beginning of this year, comes with a “dimpled” dial. 

And dimples haven’t looked this good since Hugh Grant was smiling knowingly at Julia Roberts during the dinner party scene in Notting Hill. The technique isn’t new to Audemars Piguet, which released a pair of its Millenary watches with the same look in 2019. The rumored origin story of Mayer’s watch, according to Hodinkee, is that a Japanese collector who liked the dimpled effect on the Millenary agitated for a Royal Oak with the same visage. Let that be a lesson to business owners everywhere: listen to your customers…or at least spread a rumor that you did. 

Pete Davidson’s Jacob & Co. Epic X Black

Much of Davidson’s sensibility seems to be informed by the New York of the late ‘90s and early aughts. Everything’s oversized, nothing is better than a hoodie, and “looking nice” means a polo in an Easter-friendly hue and jeans. It appears that we’ve reached the natural endpoint of this vibe: Davidson is wearing a Jacob & Co. watch. That line, from jeweler Jacob Arabo, was the choice of New York rap royalty once upon a time. The brand is making a nostalgia-fueled comeback thanks to folks like Davidson who have a soft spot for when Jacob & Co. was the biggest thing in watches. 

Brian Cox’s Pasha de Cartier 

Brian Cox claims to not be a fan of the method-acting antics of Succession colleague, GQ cover star, and expert goose follower Jeremy Strong. But I can’t help but think that this watch was acquired while Cox was channeling his character Logan Roy. It’s exactly the type of watch the wife of a multi-billionaire picks up for her hubby while collecting Cartier’s Love bracelets and trying on the updated Française. Thanks to its chronograph, it’s sporty and tough enough to earn a gruff grunt of approval while he plots out the next move in the corporate power play over his [checks notes] children (??). 

Dwyane Wade’s Rolex Day-Date

Hodinkee once wrote that the Day-Date is the de facto starter watch for NBA players. However, Wade proves that the Day-Date isn’t so easy to box in. Whether you’re just starting in the league or a retired multi-time champion like Wade the Day-Date remains go-to wristwear. While players might start with a simple Day-Date, soon-to-be Hall of Famers like Wade graduate to the version he had on at All-Star weekend, with a diamond-set bezel and glistening hour markers. 

Barry Keoghan’s Omega Speedmaster ‘57

I love when I put on a movie starring Keoghan on because I know some evil stuff is about to happen. And even when he wears a watch it’s a little…twisted. On his wrist, this Omega Speedmaster ‘57 with a tasty merlot dial takes on a darker tint. The maroon suddenly has a Darth Maul quality. Sure, he’ll take the Omega Speedmaster to the moon…so he can blow it up. Thanks, I’ll be here all week. Tip your waiters.