Michael B. Jordan Wore a Serious Sleeper Watch

Shaped watches continue to grab horological headlines and land on the most famous wrists in the multiverse. In a world saturated with vintage reissues and luxury sports watch clones, timepieces with oddball case architecture allow both designers and collectors to stretch out, show off their style and taste, and differentiate themselves from the crowd.Michael B. Jordan clearly agrees. Appearing at the Spider-Man: Brand New Day premiere in, well, a Spider-Man t-shirt, he wore a curious, shaped watch unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated auction catalog sleuths: the Vacheron Constantin “Prestige de la France.” Housed in an elongated, trapezoidal case with a thin, cabochon-set crown, it looks not unlike a vintage riff on the Cartier Tank but comes with a fascinating French-inflected backstory.In June of 1972, the Comité de Prestige et de Propagande Nationale de France—a French organization that promoted French cultural excellence—bestowed upon Vacheron Constnatin its “Diplôme du Prestige de la France” award. In honor of the award, the Genevan watchmaker designed a new model that encapsulated the house’s watchmaking expertise in multiple arenas: there was the subtle curving case; the sparse dial with thin baton indices and hands; the precious metal construction; and, in early examples, the hand-wound cal. K1050, a thin movement measuring 2.8mm tall with a Gyromax free-sprung balance and Geneva Seal-level finishing.Though versions of the Prestige de la France exist with entirely polished finishing, MBJ’s features a lovely diamond-set upper case bout and thin, smooth bezel that plays against a yellow gold case and a lovely anthracite dial, creating a multi-tone look that is at once sophisticated and restrained. The integration of the simple alligator leather strap into the hooded lugs is reminiscent of certain Gilbert Albert designs for Patek Philippe, while a dedicated caseback engraving featuring a laurel wreath and individual serial number speaks to the model’s prestige and importance.Produced in several references and configurations throughout the 1970s, the Prestige de la France was very much of its time with respect to both aesthetics and mechanics. A revival of sorts in the form of the 1972 Prestige Collection in 2013 brought the model to a contemporary audience, though its debut in the midst of the luxury-sports-watch craze may have done it few favors. Now, in 2026, it seems like precisely the right time for a resurgence of interest in such a design…or perhaps a fresh interpretation?Luke Combs’ A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Striking TimeNo one can quite pull off “high-low” quite like Luke Combs. Try wearing a camouflage Ford trucker hat with a pink-gold Lange out on the town, and you might elicit some raised eyebrows— but not this country music gem. His genuine passion for watchmaking was on full display at Allan Jackson’s final touring performance at Nissan Stadium. Measuring 44.2mm, the substantial Zeitwerk ref. 145.032 features not only a visible chiming mechanism, but also a mechanical jump-hour display for both the hours and minutes, as well as a power reserve indicator and a running seconds dial. With its stunning finishing on display via a sapphire caseback and its constant-force escapement, it ranks among the most impressive of Lange’s designs from the 2010s.Nicole Kidman’s Omega ConstellationAppearing at the Lioness season 3 premiere this week in New York, longtime Omega brand ambassador Nicole Kidman wore a svelte version of the Constellation, the brand’s dressy chronometer collection inspired by its wins at observatory trials that measured and awarded timing accuracy through the early 20th century. Kidman’s version, which measures 28mm in yellow gold, features an integrated, matching bracelet; half-moon bezel “claws”; and a mother-of-pearl dial with diamond-set indices and luminous alpha hands. Though it’s powered by a quartz movement, other versions—particularly the new Constellation Observatory sub-collection—harken back to 1950s models with automatic calibers, pie-pan dials, and signature “dog leg” lugs. Prestigious and wide-ranging, the “Connie” is arguably among Omega’s most compelling product families.Robert Downey Jr’s Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-ThinRobert Downey Jr. delighted super-nerds everywhere by showing up at Comic-Con both as Dr. Doom—and by wearing a Doom-themed watch. While there are plenty of green-dialed options out there these days, RDJ chose the relatively obscure Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin in emerald green. Established by none other than famed watch designer Gérald Genta—who gave the brand his first and middle names—it produces fewer than 1,200 pieces per year, all of which are high-end creations. The Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin, for example, is powered by the automatic manufacture cal. GCA2000 movement, while the steel case, with its undulating bezel, is composed of some 35 components. Never afraid to venture into uncharted horological waters, Downey Jr. feels like a fitting collector of such a model.David Jonsson’s Cartier PanthèreThere’s a new Black Panther in town, and he’s got the watch to prove it! Actor David Jonsson chose a—what else—Cartier Panthère to wear during his official reveal as the MCU superhero at San Diego Comic-Con. A medium-sized model measuring 27mm in steel and featuring a quartz movement, Jonsson’s watch is a subtle nod both to his character and to the animal that forms the heart of Cartier’s mythology. While today’s celeb elite—everyone from Timothée Chalamet to Jacob Elordi to Taylor Swift—have rocked one, the Panthère has historically been seen on the wrists of Pierce Brosnan, Keith Richards, Madonna, and Princess Diana. That’s some pretty good horological company to keep, if you ask us.