Which watch would a Hollywood star wear? No, not a tongue twister, but a genuine question. Not just a Hollywood star, though, oh no! A Hollywood superstar, no less. A real heavyweight, at least in terms of his bank balance! With an (estimated) fortune of a gazillion dollars, he can afford the very best that Switzerland has to offer.
Not a Swiss watch – what’s that about, then?!
Except that one of his apparent favourite watches is British-made. Yes, the man actually has taste, a rarity in Tinseltown, I know!
So, what is this watch, I hear you ask? It is the rather fabulous Bremont ALT1-C.
This is a beautiful timepiece crafted to resemble the traditional aircraft instrumentation, obviously striking a chord with Mr Cruise, being a pilot and all!
I am sure it is not a regular ALT1-C that he owns, though. Probably a modified, custom-made effort direct from the Company themselves.
However, most of us would not know the difference and you can own the same watch for under £4,500. I know, out of reach for most of us, but still a fairly modest price by rich and famous standards!
Get yours here and, who knows, you could soon be hanging off the side of a mountain by your fingertips, or clinging on to a 747 as it takes off!
And the rest…
So, what else does Tom Cruise have in his watch collection?
Audemars Piguet is another favourite of the man, in particular the Royal Oak Offshore GP Singapur, an oversized piece with an octahedral case and gauche bright red dial and crown. Not for my tastes, but I wouldn’t mind having the ability to afford one at around £30k! You may not be able to get this exact model, but you can see some of the Audemars Piguet range here. But, be warned, their ‘bargain basement’ watches start at around £11,000!
Not ‘impossible’ to own a watch like Ethan Hunt!
Looking for something more suited to most people’s wallets? Well, how about the Casio G-Shock? In the first three Mission Impossible movies, Tom’s character Ethan Hunt wore a G-Shock. Not the same one, of course, but a different model in each film.
In ‘Mission: Impossible’, he wore the G-Shock DW-5300.
Mission: Impossible 2 featured the Casio G-Shock DW-6900-1V. When I say featured, I mean that Ethan Hunt was shown wearing it, rather than it actually starred in the film and got a mention in the credits!
M:i III was the turn of the G-Shock MTG-910D-2V
Take a look at some of the Casio G-Shock range, priced from £100 to about £1500.
By the time the fourth Mi film came around (Ghost Protocol), Ethan had moved on from G-Shock. Obviously made a bit of money from his previous missions and could afford a more upmarket timepiece! His choice, though, was not obvious – it was the Tudor Heritage chronograph. Costing around £3,000, this was a step up, with a nice looking grey dial and contrasting orange sweeping second hand.
There was no obvious sighting of a watch in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Maybe it self-destructed!
Report on the Minority of Tom’s watches!
Oh no, that was a really cheesy heading!
However, the watches he wore in the film Minority Report were far from cheesy. Two very nice watches indeed:
Firstly, the Omega Speedmaster X-33 and then a Bvlgari specially commissioned for the film, but based on their Scuba model.
There is a well know continuity issue with this film, in that Tom’s character, John Anderton, is seen several times wearing the Omega but, when it cuts to a close-up of him counting down the minutes before the murder, the watch clearly transforms into a Bvlgari, then back to the Omega when they pan out! Maybe that is what happens in the year 2054, who knows? Wouldn’t it be fantastic if your old generic watch suddenly transformed into a Patek Philippe. Looking forward to that, if I’m still around!
Best of the rest
What else has Tom been seen wearing:
- IWC Mark XV in ‘Vanilla Sky’
- IWC Vintage Ingenieur Automatic in ‘Collateral’
- IWC Top Gun Miramar – IWC produced this watch after being inspired by the film
Days of ThunderTop Gun (obviously)! - Omega Speedmaster 321 in ‘War of the Worlds’
- Porsche chronograph in ‘Top Gun’
- Panerai PAM 63 GMT in ‘Tropic Thunder’
- TAG Heuer Link in ‘Jerry Maguire’
- U-Boat Flightdeck CAS 50
- Anonimo Firenze
- Graham
We have covered some of the watches worn by Tom Cruise on and off the film set. I am quite sure that his collection extends to many more illustrious models.
You can, no doubt, get yourself a similar look at a fraction of the cost in many cases. Just browse the range at the top online stores, such as Beaverbrooks or Goldsmiths.
Look out for further ‘Celebrity Watch Watch’ features.
I love designer watches. I never really paid attention to the watches in his movies. I guess I got something to look out for the next time I watch a Tom Cruise flic…Someday I will be able to afford them, but till then I’ll be rockin the mission impossible watches.
…and that’s not a bad place to start. The M:i G-Shock watches are really rather good.
Thanks for the comment Albert.
I’ve never owned a designer watch, seems like watches in general are being less popular nowadays because of the rise of the smartphone. The watches above look great though, I’d love to have one myself. Thanks for the informative post!
The rise of the smartphone has lead to the rise of the smartwatch. Others, myself included, still prefer to have a traditional watch on their wrist.
Thanks for your comments.
Not so sure about the DW6900-1V being in the Mission Impossible 2 movie. To be fair, this is not the only site that has stated that, but I’m sure it’s not even a G Shock at all, but a super cheap 200m digital Casio the DW290.
You could be right, will just have to ask Tom next time I see him!
Thanks for your comments.
Great idea for a post David! I’m a huge fan of Tom Cruise, and watches (why else would I be here?), so this was a blast. Who knew he had so many quality watches? I personally have had a G-Shock since I watched MI2 so long ago. It was a cheaper model, maybe $200, but I wear it with pride. Though I have broadened my collection, so I rarely have it on. How affordable are the rest of the watches? I’m interested in seeing if I can pursue them. Or are they all Bremont-level prices?
Thanks Mohammad. The G-Shock is really the only range that could be considered affordable to most of us. The rest, I am afraid, are out of reach, although I’m sure Mr Cruise could buy any of them with the loose change in his pocket!
Great article! Tom Cruise is such a great actor…gotta watch one of his movies again now! I myself am in the market for a watch. My girlfriend always tells me I’m terrible with time (I might deserve that). I do have a question. At what point in price do you think the watch stops getting much better in functional quality? In other words, at what point does it run the longest and feel the best? Thanks!
The question of price versus quality is a difficult one to answer and quite subjective. Some brands offer better value for money than others, but don’t assume that, just because it states that it is “Swiss made”, that it is the best you can buy! Having said that, generally Swiss watches are indeed of a better quality due to the craftsmanship involved and the premium materials used. Mechanical movement is also a key factor in accuracy.
To put a price threshold on what runs the longest and feels the best is really difficult. It really depends on what you are looking for, what feels right for you and what you consider value.
Thanks for your comments, Sam.
Hi David,
Lovely article and Tom does seem to be quite the Horlogy nut. Gotta hand it to him, I too have watched this while dialing into some of his movies(see what I just did right there ;)). He ensures there’s a wristwatch closeup shot in quite a few movies, Vanilla Sky’s Mark XV IWC and the notoriously inaccurate scene from War of the Worlds, where a mechanical Omega Seamaster(!) 321 stops due to magnetic interference from lightning, comes to mind.
You know your stuff, fellow eagle eyed watch-spotter!
Thank you for your comments.
My heart throb action superstar, Tom Cruise. Hope to wear this watch one day
If you are referring to the Bremont, then it is a very nice timepiece. Not the usual Rolex bling, but a rather classy choice from a classy actor.
Thank you for your comments.