The Met Gala is often—and not incorrectly—referred to as fashion’s biggest night. But if you want to get technical about it, you could also call it a red-letter day for the watch world. As high-end timepieces have become a bigger and bigger part of the culture around celebrity, getting dressed, and anywhere those two ideas intersect, the red carpet has become a spot to show off not only your outfit but what’s on your wrist, too.
We saw that in a big way last night at the 2024 Met Gala. From established A-listers to up-and-comers, the guys making their way into the museum weren’t shy about the (sometimes strange) poses necessary to give us a glimpse of their watches. A Napoleonic bend of the arm? A readjustment of the button on a jacket? An oh-so-casual reach toward the chin to scratch a supposed itch? All of those moves and more were on display. And hey, we’re here for it.
Because the more the guys flex those timepieces, the easier it is for the team at Esquire to ID them and bring you this report. It doesn’t include every single watch that arrived, celeb in tow, to celebrate the Costume Institute’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” exhibition. But we’ve got all the heavy hitters below. Take a scroll through to see which ones strike your fancy.
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