The 98th Academy Awards, held March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, delivered one of the most interesting wrist checks in recent Oscars memory. While Best Picture went to "One Battle After Another" and Michael B. Jordan took home Best Actor for "Sinners," the red carpet told its own story — one of vintage grails, independent watchmakers, and a growing willingness among Hollywood's elite to wear pieces that require explanation. The era of slapping on a name-brand sport watch for the cameras is over. What replaced it is significantly more interesting.
At La Lusso Co., we track these moments closely — not just for the glamour, but because celebrity wrist choices move markets. When a reference appears on a major red carpet, search volume spikes within 48 hours and secondary market pricing follows. Here is what we saw, what it means, and what you should know about each piece.
Zendaya — Rolex Lady-Datejust 28, Full Diamond White Gold, President Bracelet
Zendaya skipped the red carpet entirely — arriving backstage rather than walking the step-and-repeat — but made one of the night's most memorable entrances when she appeared on stage to present the Best Director award alongside her "The Drama" co-star Robert Pattinson. Dressed in a custom one-shouldered Louis Vuitton gown, she wore a full diamond Lady-Datejust 28 in white gold, complete with a diamond-set President bracelet. As a Rolex brand ambassador, Zendaya has consistent access to the brand's most jewel-intensive configurations — and this piece, with diamonds across the dial, bezel, and bracelet, represents one of the most extravagant expressions in the Lady-Datejust catalog, with fully set white gold configurations typically valued well above $50,000 depending on stone count and setting. It was a reminder that the Lady-Datejust is not just a daily wearer. In the right configuration, it belongs on Hollywood's most important stage.
Rolex Lady-Datejust 28 Full Diamond White Gold President Bracelet
Ryan Coogler — Cartier Tank à Guichets, Platinum
The director of "Sinners" — whose film earned a record-breaking 16 nominations — made the single most conversation-worthy watch choice of the night. The Cartier Tank à Guichets is an archival design, revived last year in a limited-edition platinum version. "Guichets" is French for "ticket window" — the aperture through which the time is displayed — making the choice almost poetically appropriate for the most decorated director of the evening. This is the watch of someone who has gone deep into the catalog and come back with something nobody else in the room is wearing. If you know, you know.
Cartier Tank à Guichets Platinum Limited Edition
Timothée Chalamet — Urban Jürgensen UJ-2
Chalamet has worn the Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 throughout the entire 2026 awards season and committed to it for Hollywood's biggest night, pairing it with an all-white tuxedo and a handful of rings. The UJ-2 is a creation of master independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen — one of the most respected names in independent horology — produced under the Urban Jürgensen brand. Choosing a niche independent maker over a global powerhouse on the Oscars stage is a statement of genuine horological literacy. This is not a watch you stumble into.
Urban Jürgensen UJ-2 by Kari Voutilainen
Michael B. Jordan — Vintage Piaget Protocole
Best Actor winner Jordan has been on a vintage watch run all season — he wore an Audemars Piguet Bamboo just weeks prior — and the Oscars were no exception. His Piaget Protocole is a 1970s-era piece with a pavé diamond dial and black leather strap, worn on the wrist of the night's biggest winner. Refined, historically significant, and deeply collectible. The Protocole's appearance on Jordan's wrist the night he won Best Actor will not go unnoticed in the market — vintage Piaget has been quietly strengthening, and this kind of placement accelerates collector interest meaningfully.
Piaget Protocole Vintage 1970s Pavé Diamond Dial Yellow Gold
Kevin O'Leary — Rolex Daytona Ref. 116509 + Cartier Crash Skeleton
"Mr. Wonderful" arrived wearing two watches simultaneously — and both were exceptional. The first: a Rolex Daytona Ref. 116509 in 18k white gold with a ruby-set bezel and hour markers and diamonds on the case. The second: a Cartier Crash Skeleton in platinum, with skeleton bridges coated in black varnish and burgundy-toned indexes. The Cartier Crash Skeleton is one of the most architecturally extreme watches in existence — its secondary market prices have climbed consistently as collectors recognize it as a genuine design artifact. Wearing both simultaneously is either audacious or perfectly calibrated. With O'Leary, it is always intentional.
Cartier Crash Skeleton Burgundy Limited 60 Pieces
Rolex Daytona 116509 White Gold Ruby Bezel Diamond Case
Kumail Nanjiani — Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton
Nanjiani has a well-documented watch obsession and the Oscars brought out something extraordinary — a Vacheron Constantin Overseas in rose gold with a skeletonized tourbillon measuring just 5.65mm in thickness. The tourbillon cage is inspired by Vacheron's Maltese cross logo. At this complication level, this is the watch of a collector who has gone all the way through the catalog. For anyone considering the Vacheron Constantin Overseas collection, this is as strong a validation as the secondary market gets.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton Rose Gold
Josh Groban — Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5726/1A-014
The singer wore the Nautilus with annual calendar, day, date, month apertures, moon phase, and sweep seconds — not the entry-level Nautilus, but a fully complicated version that represents everything Patek Philippe stands for. In a room full of watches trying to make a statement, this one made its statement quietly. Exactly as intended.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5726/1A Annual Calendar Moon Phase
Leonardo DiCaprio — Rolex 1908, Platinum, Ice Blue Dial
DiCaprio has worn Rolex to virtually every major awards ceremony for a decade. At the 2026 Oscars he chose the 1908 with an ice-blue guilloche dial — part of the 2024 relaunch of the historic reference. As a Best Actor nominee for "One Battle After Another," DiCaprio made the correct choice: nothing that competes with the moment, everything that complements it. The 1908 has become the go-to reference for Hollywood's leading men who want Rolex without the sport watch association, and DiCaprio's continued endorsement of it will keep secondary market demand firm.
Rolex 1908 Platinum Ice Blue Guilloche Dial
Conan O'Brien — Rolex Land-Dweller
O'Brien, hosting the Oscars for the second consecutive year, was spotted wearing the Rolex Land-Dweller in promotional material leading up to the ceremony — a natural fit given Rolex's role as an official sponsor of the Academy Awards. The Land-Dweller, introduced in 2025, features an angular case, integrated bracelet, and honeycomb motif dial. Its appearance in the Oscars promotional cycle this early confirms its status as a reference collectors should be paying attention to. At current market conditions, sourcing one outside of the primary market requires specialist access. If you're looking to add one, we can provide discreet help to source a specific reference through our global network.
Rolex Land-Dweller Honeycomb Dial in Stainless Steel
Nicole Kidman — Vintage Omega Sapphette, 1966
As an Omega ambassador, Kidman had access to the brand's archives — and she used them. The Omega Sapphette from 1966 is a bracelet watch that blurs the line between jewelry and horology, which is precisely the point at an event where both compete for attention. The vintage Omega market has been quietly strengthening, and Kidman's choice of a 60-year-old archive piece over a current catalog reference is a signal that resonates in collector circles.
Vintage Omega Sapphette 1966 14k White Gold Diamond Wings
The Gender-Fluid Wrist: Hudson Williams, Pedro Pascal, Usher, Shaboozey
One of the defining trends of the 2026 Oscars was the number of men who wore pieces traditionally marketed to women — and wore them with complete authority.
Hudson Williams ("Heated Rivalry") wore a Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas — the coiled snake-shaped bracelet watch that is one of the most recognizable designs in the Bulgari catalog. Pedro Pascal paired a Chanel Boy-Friend watch in gold with a quilted calfskin strap alongside full Chanel menswear — consistent, considered, brand-loyal. Usher wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous with diamond bezel, a piece from Jaeger-LeCoultre's women's line, with the ease of someone who bought it because he loved it. Shaboozey wore a Chopard L'Heure du Diamant — fully diamond-set, typically positioned as a women's piece — alongside diamond lapel pins and pearl earrings. Every one of these choices was deliberate. When high-profile men wear traditionally female-marketed pieces at this level of visibility, it expands the buyer pool for those references and tends to push secondary market values upward.
Hudson Williams - Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Red Guilloché Diamond Beze
Pedro Pascal - Chanel Boy-Friend
Usher - Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous with diamond bezel
The Hublot Contingent
Three attendees wore Hublot, making it the most-represented single brand after Rolex. Miles Caton, the breakout star of "Sinners," wore the Classic Fusion Chronograph Titanium King Gold 45mm. Kieran Culkin wore the Classic Fusion Chronograph King Gold 42mm. Joe Alwyn wore the Classic Fusion Essential Grey 42mm. The concentration suggests brand coordination, but the watches stand on their own — the Classic Fusion remains one of the most versatile sport-luxury references available.
Miles Caton - Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph Titanium King Gold 45mm
Kieran Culkin - Hublot Classic Fusion Chronograph King Gold 42mm
Joe Alwyn - Classic Fusion Essential Grey 42mm
Other Notable Wrists
Raphael Saadiq wore the Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked — one of the most technically complex pieces in the Audemars Piguet catalog. Felix Kammerer wore the Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, a serious horology choice that gave depth to his chocolate suiting. Gabriel Leone wore the Bulgari Octo Roma — understated, architectural, exactly right. Wagner Moura and Lewis Pullman both chose the Omega De Ville Prestige, proving that a well-chosen dress watch still holds the room. Chris Evans wore the Chopard L.U.C. XPS in rose gold — one of the finest ultra-thin movements in production.
Raphael Saadiq - Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon Openworked
Felix Kammerer - Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin
Lewis Pullman - Omega De Ville Trésor 40mm
What the 2026 Oscars Tell Us About the Market
Three themes defined the wrist game this year, and all three carry direct secondary market implications.
Vintage is winning. Jordan's Piaget Protocole, Coogler's archival Tank, DiCaprio's heritage 1908, Kidman's 1966 Omega — the most talked-about pieces were not new releases. They were pieces with history. This accelerates demand for investment-grade vintage references with documented provenance — exactly the category we specialize in at La Lusso Co.
Independent watchmakers are arriving. Chalamet's Voutilainen-made Urban Jürgensen and Nanjiani's Vacheron Constantin tourbillon represent a level of horological literacy that did not exist on the Oscars red carpet five years ago. When celebrities with global audiences choose independent makers over household names, it pulls new collectors into those categories and firms up pricing.
The Full Set premium is more relevant than ever. Every standout piece on this list — the Jordan Protocole, the Coogler Tank, the DiCaprio 1908 — commands maximum value with original provenance intact. The red carpet consistently reminds the market that documentation is not optional. It is the asset.
Whether you are looking to request discreet help to source a specific reference inspired by what you saw last night, explore our current Rolex inventory, or discuss the value of selling or trading a watch you already own, contact a La Lusso Co. specialist for a private consultation. Based in Florida and serving clients across the United States and internationally, we authenticate every piece and deliver with fully insured FedEx overnight shipping.
FAQ
What was the most notable watch at the 2026 Oscars?
Ryan Coogler's limited-edition platinum Cartier Tank à Guichets and Michael B. Jordan's vintage Piaget Protocole generated the most collector conversation. Zendaya's full-diamond Lady-Datejust 28 was the most visually striking, worn backstage and on stage as a presenter rather than on the red carpet itself.
Are vintage watches more popular than modern watches now?
The 2026 awards season has made a strong case for what collectors are calling "neo-vintage" — a preference for pieces with historical character over current catalog references. Jordan's Protocole, Kidman's 1966 Omega Sapphette, and Coogler's archival Cartier all reflect this shift.
Can I buy the watches seen at the Oscars?
Most pieces worn by celebrities are either from their personal collections or on loan from the brands. However, nearly all of these references are available through specialist dealers like La Lusso Co. in the secondary market.
Is the Vacheron Constantin Overseas a good investment?
The Overseas has shown consistent secondary market performance, particularly in complicated configurations. Nanjiani's tourbillon skeleton is a statement piece — but even the core Overseas references hold strong value with full documentation.
Does celebrity visibility actually move watch prices?
Yes, meaningfully. References that appear on high-profile red carpets typically see increased search volume within 24–48 hours and secondary market price movement within weeks. The Jordan Piaget Protocole and Coogler Cartier Tank are both references to watch closely in the coming months.
