tom cruise rolex day date 40
Photography: Tomohiro Ohsumi

OF ALL THE PLACES a Rolex dial could come from, space isn’t usually one of them. But then again, Tom Cruise doesn’t exactly do things by the book.

While promoting the latest Mission: Impossible instalment in London, Cruise was spotted wearing something quietly extraordinary: a Rolex Day-Date 40 in white gold with a meteorite dial. Not just space-inspired – actually space-born.

The dial is cut from a fragment of the Gibeon meteorite, which fell in Namibia after cooling in space for millions of years. The resulting pattern is unlike anything else – naturally formed, totally unique, and nearly impossible to fake.

Cruise has a well-documented history with Rolex. In Rain Man (1988), he wore a classic gold Day-Date. In Cocktail (1988), it was a steel Air-King. Off-screen, he’s often rotated in a clean Datejust, a Sky-Dweller (ideal for someone who logs as many air miles as Cruise), and recently, a platinum Rolex Daytona. All iconic, but relatively low-key.

tom cruise rolex cannes
Photography: Shane Anthony Sinclair

This one? Not so much. The Day-Date 40 with meteorite dial sits firmly in holy grail territory. It’s housed in white gold, features Rolex’s top-shelf 3255 movement, and comes on the signature President bracelet. But the dial is the kicker – those otherworldly patterns are called Widmanstätten lines, formed as the meteor cooled slowly over cosmic time.

tom cruise rolex cannes
Photography: Shane Anthony Sinclair

Getting one isn’t easy. Rolex uses meteorite sparingly and only on a handful of precious metal models. And with many versions now discontinued, they’re even tougher to track down.

For most collectors, it means a long waitlist (or paying an eye-watering premium on the secondary market). But if you’re Tom Cruise, chances are, you don’t queue.

tom cruise rolex day date 40
Rolex Day-Date 40 in white gold, ref. 228239

The thing is, Cruise doesn’t need to brag. His watch choices, much like his suits (how good did he look on the red carpet?!) feel thought through. He’s never been one to chase hype – there’s a quiet confidence to the pieces he picks. This latest watch still reads that way. Sleek and chic.

For a man whose entire career has orbited around pushing the limits, doing his own stunts, and literally taking things to new heights – wearing a watch made of space rock isn’t just a flex. It’s fitting.


Related:

Rolex just dropped a brand-new model

Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible’ stunts are a bone-breaking ode to old school Hollywood