When Did Ryan Reynolds Become a God-Tier Watch Collector?

Ryan Reynolds has spent this year not-so-quietly building a case for hinmself as one of the most fascinating watch collectors on earth. It’s not just that the actor knows his way around the classics, like rare Rolex Daytonas, beat-up Omega Speedmasters, and flashy Piagets. What’s especially impressive about Reynolds’s collection is the number of deep cuts he’s shown off from ultra-high-end independents.Below are the very best pieces from Reynolds’s collection.Voutilainen 28 InverséTake, for example, the watch that he wore during Hot Ones this week (above). One of just 10 pieces rendered in tantalum, the 28 Inversé is the work of Kari Voutilainen, one of the most lauded independent watchmakers in the industry. It’s called “Inversé” because the movement is flipped 180 degrees so that the mechanics that are usually hidden away are made visible through the dial. This was a CHF 118,000 watch at retail, but one example that hit the auction block recently carried an estimate of up to four times that number. An extremely limited watch from one of the most hallowed names in independent watchmaking? Real IYKYK-type stuff.Omega Speedmaster Moonshine GoldBack in 2022, when Reynolds served as co-chair of the Met Gala, he broke out a special Speedmaster to pair with a burgundy velvet tux: a Moonshine Gold ref. 310.60.42.50.10.001 with a green dial. Powered by the Calibre 3861, this is a high-end riff on the latest Speedmaster Professional released back in 2021. This Omega is paired with a matching Moonshine gold bracelet, and it’s got a handsome dial in green PVD—plus a matching green bezel ring with a Ceragold tachymeter scale and the signature “dot-over-90” index. Roughly as subtle as a nuclear blast, it’s kinda the perfect watch for someone who once played the Green Lantern!Rolex Cosmograph DaytonaBack in May, Reynolds and Rob McElhenney both wore vintage Daytonas to Disney’s Emmy Season Toast. Reynolds sprang for the “panda”-dial version with a white backdrop to a trio of black subdials. But this was no ordinary ref. 6239. Rather, Reynolds’s was a “Paul Newman” version with exotic typography and colorful accents, named because it was exactly the type worn by actor, driver, and philanthropist Paul Newman. (His personal watch, given to him by his wife, Joanne Woodward, hammered for nearly $18M back in 2017.) Reynolds is a noted Daytona guy, having been spotted in a yellow-gold 6241 (also a “Newman”) aboard a private aircraft as well as what appears to be a steel 6241 Newman more recently.Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual CalendarEarly in 2025, Audemars Piguet released its latest-generation perpetual calendar movement, the Calibre 7138, which can be adjusted completely via the crown. Reynolds, for his part, lost no time in securing an allocation, springing for the ref. 26674SG.OO.1320SG.01 in Sand Gold. Having won the Iconic Watch Prize at the 2025 GPHG, it’s quickly become a beloved reference, with its brushed and polished finishing doing wonders to bring out the Sand Gold’s subtle luster. At 41mm, it’s a comfortable watch on most wrists, though the sheer weight of its gold case and bracelet means it’s not for the faint of heart.Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans “Battle”The highlight of Reynolds’ collection is its section of flaming-hot independent watchmakers. One of the actor’s crown jewels comes from Simon Brette, the young French designer whose namesake brand produces watches that sell out before they’re even announced, with one example fetching over half a million at auction at Sotheby's. Reynolds chose the rose gold Chronomètre Artisans “Battle,” a limited edition of 50 pieces with a three-dimensional mosaic/relief dial. It measures 39mm and is powered by a hand-wound movement with rose gold plates and bridges created carefully by a team of in-house artisans.Roger Smith Series IIContinuing his jaunt through High-End Independent Land, Reynolds wore one of star British watchmaker Roger Smith’s signature models, the Series II. Smith worked under master watchmaker George Daniels, who was best known for establishing the “Daniels Method,” which involves making a watch almost entirely by hand. It’s horology’s answer to the farm-to-table movement. The Series II is a yellow-gold watch with a hand-guilloché dial with subsidiary seconds, an offset power reserve indicator, and an outer brushed hour track with black Roman-numeral indices. Inside the watch is an in-house caliber designed and produced by Smith himself. A far cry from the ultra-modern Chronomètre Artisans above, this Series II represents the more classical side of independent horology.