The best watches at the 2025 Met Gala

AS THE BIGGEST night in fashion, the Met Gala is where we expect to find elevated outfits on some of the world’s most stylish of dressers. But even the most adept of fashion’s faithful can be let down by a poor choice of accessories. Thankfully, few made that mistake at this year’s Met Gala.

While this year’s theme (Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, in case you missed it) may not have directly called for a focus on timepieces, judging by the resulting looks, it appears at least a few attendees interpreted it that way. Here, we take a closer look out our favourites. But fair warning, due to the hefty price tags involved, you probably won’t be adding many of these watches to your wish list – unless you’re a wealthy, watch-collecting scion, of course.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds – Jeremy Allen White

Only 7.56mm thick, this Reverso Tribute from Jaeger-LeCoultre is equipped with the Manufacture Calibre 822, a manual-winding movement with an impressive 42 hours of power reserve. The pink gold case (which is reversible, mind you) houses more than 50 components, a testament to the complexity of the watch and the craftsmanship put into what lies below the surface. The silver sunray dial is highlighted by the applied hour markers, plus Dauphine hands and the small seconds hand. Jeremy Allen White isn’t exactly known for his taste in watches, but he’s chosen a winner here.

Panthère de Cartier Watch, 18-carat Yellow Gold, Spessartites, Lacquer Diamonds – Jon Batiste

Jon Batiste brought serious character to the Met Gala carpet — beginning at the wrist. He wore Cartier’s Panthère “Pelage” watch, a wild mix of zebra and tiger, dripping in diamonds, fiery red spessartites, and hand-painted lacquer that took over 110 hours to perfect. It was bold but refined, like a wearable piece of abstract art. He paired it with a vintage Cartier brooch from 1968 — an 18-carat yellow gold rabbit popping out of a hat, complete with enamel detail and a single ruby eye.

Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Ultra – A$AP Rocky

Unveiled at Watches and Wonders last year, the Octo Finissimo Ultra allowed Bvlgari to capture yet another ultra-thin watchmaking crown. Officially the thinnest mechanical watch ever produced, measuring at a near-microscopic 1.70mm in thickness, the Octo Finissimo Ultra is skeletonised, manually wound, beats at 4 Hz, and offers 50 hours of power reserve.

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Complete Calendar Openface – Walton Goggins

Riding high on the success of The White Lotus, Walton Goggins arrived at the Met with a limited edition Vacheron Constantin watch valued at over $100,000 strapped on his wrist. Produced for Vacheron Constantin’s 270th anniversary, this 370-piece limited edition boasts an openface dial with a hand-guilloché Maltese cross pattern. A discreet anniversary signature and a côte unique finish also adorn the self-winding movement. Meanwhile, the complete calendar and precision moon phase exude contemporary style, as does the slender bezel, fluted caseback and Dauphine-type hour and minute hands.

Rolex ‘Rainbow’ Daytona Cosmograph – Pusha T

Perhaps in reference to his Grammy-nominated 2018 album ‘Daytona’, Pusha T wore a Rolex Daytona to the Met. This piece is valued at more than $1 million and features a rose gold case and bracelet embedded with 56 diamonds. The standout feature, however, is obviously the kaleidoscopic assortment of gems that adorn the circumference of the dial.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Duetto – Usher

Fun fact: this piece from Jaeger-LeCoultre is actually a ladies watch. Usher doesn’t seem to mind though. He must know that good watches shouldn’t be restricted by gender. Its pink-gold case is paved with exactly 335 diamonds, which is a big reason why it retails for close to six figures.

Audemars Piguet Self Winding Royal Oak – Shaboozey

We have to assume that the primary reason Shaboozey chose to wear this specific AP to the Met Gala was that it matched with his teeth and speckled suit, but that doesn’t mean it can’t stand on its own. It has a 37mm, 18-carat yellow gold case, glareproofed sapphire crystal and caseback, Calibre 5900 self-winding movement, and of course, that eye-catching turquoise dial.

Jacob & Co. Emerald Billionaire III – Maluma

The 76 emerald gemstones that make up the case and dial of this Jacob & Co. watch are its obvious headliners, but its advanced, skeletonised JCAM39 hand-wound movement is also worthy of praise. This is another instance where colour-coding has taken precedence in choice of watch at this year’s Met Gala.

Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 – Jalen Hurts

Fresh off a Super Bowl win, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts busted out this classy Breitling chronograph for his first Met Gala appearance. At $13,590, this is actually one of the more affordable watches from this year’s fundraiser.

Jacob & Co. Ashoka Boutique – Jeff Goldblum

Jeff Goldblum always seems to be wearing million dollar watches these days. It’s a huge flex, but Goldblum doesn’t seem like the type. Nevertheless, this Jacob & Co. piece, which goes for an eye-watering $1.2 million, is a sight to behold with its 162 Ashoka-cut white diamonds.