Before Everything Everywhere All At Once won everything at the awards ceremony, Oscar attendees put on their usual show on the carpet. And while the stars may have played it safe, fashion-wise, they displayed the most diverse selection of watches ever seen at the show. Most years we see a procession of serious dress watches with leather bands. This year, almost every wrist offered a new treat, like Paul Mescal's unusual Cartier, Michelle Yeoh's completely clear new-age sport watch, and Dwayne Johnson's piece, which completely defied the black-tie dress code. I haven't even mentioned Idris Elba's Gucci watch, featuring a carousel of diamonds.
There are a few explanations for the Oscars watch explosion. First, more casual sport watches are now acceptable at events like this, which greatly increases the selection. Second, celebrity interest in watches seems to be ballooning along with everyone else's. It's starting to seem as if we're seeing more personality on people's wrists than we are with their clothes. Nearly every category of watch collecting was represented on Sunday: vintage grails, high-end sport watches, unimpeachable dress models, and stainless steel staples. Here are the best pieces from the 2023 Oscars.