The New Black Panther Wore a Very Fitting Cartier

This past weekend, actor David Jonsson had to pick out which watch he’d wear for what would almost certainly be one of the most important moments of his life. Jonsson was in town for the annual San Diego Comic-Con, where on Saturday evening at Marvel’s marquee Hall H panel he was announced as their newest marquee hero: the next Black Panther. For a moment like that, there’s only one watch an actor who’s already established himself as a friend of the Cartier house could go with: a classic Cartier Panthère.Jonsson’s reveal was a showcase for banger, Black Panther-related watches. Director Ryan Coogler actually wore Audemars Piguet’s watch made in collaboration with Marvel that features a miniature and painstakingly made sculpture of Wakanda’s hero. Considering that on-the-nose choice, Jonsson’s Cartier was downright subtle. After all, to non-watchheads this was just another pretty Cartier. It’s only once you discover the name of the watch that you can piece together the significance and satisfying homonyms at play.After actor Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing in 2020, one of the figureheads of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was gone. As T’Challa, Boseman turned the character into a genuine cultural icon. His death left a hole in the center of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that would be impossible to fill. Instead of trying to, the franchise honored his life in the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and built around it, having T’Challa’s sister Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) take up the mantle of the character. At the end of the movie, T’Challa is revealed to have had a son with his longtime love Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). That son, named Toussaint, is the role Jonsson is taking over–likely thanks to some multiversal timeline restructuring after the next two Avengers films. He’ll be inheriting his fictional father’s superhero moniker as well, giving the next generation their new Black Panther.It’s a big moment for a young actor. Joining the MCU is one thing, but under Coogler the Black Panther films have become landmark fillms that stand independent of the larger Marvel project. Stepping into the role is star-making in a different way. To commemorate the occasion, Jonsson donned the mid-size iteration of the quartz-powered Cartier Panthère in steel (he’s been a friend of the brand for some time and just recently served as a judge on a panel they hosted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed). It’s a watch that’s long been popular with everyone from Timothée Chalamet to Jacob Elordi and Taylor Swift. The medium case comes in at 27mm, beefier than the classic tinier sizing but still a good bit smaller than traditional men’s watches. At that size, it’s a little playful and rakish–a far cry from the stiffer, more business-forward Tank Francaise he wore on Industry as Gus Sackey, a blue-blood Tory whose work in finance was just the first stepping stone towards a career in politics.The Panthère/Panther pun is obvious, sure, but there’s a little more to the selection of the watch beyond wordplay. Jonsson took the stage of Hall H in a black tee, dark-washed jeans, and black shoes. The black-on-black look with a steel watch and jewelry to match (a white gold Cartier Love bracelet) calls to mind the black and vibranium of the Black Panther costume. Jonsson may have only just ascended to the throne, but we can already say with some certainty that he looks the part.