Only 150 examples of the timepiece were produced
Robert Downey Jr. went platinum in the City of Angels last night.
On Sunday, the Academy Museum Gala was hosted in Los Angeles where acclaimed actors, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Henry Golding, and Robert Downey Jr., hit the red carpet. The third annual event was originally scheduled to take place in October but was pushed back after the Israel-Hamas war broke out in the Middle East. Actors Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, Michael B. Jordan, and Sofia Coppola were honoured during the gala, but Downey Jr.’s wristwear was the real showstopper in our eyes.
The veteran actor sported a limited-edition Cartier Santos-Dumont watch in platinum to the event. The striking 43mm by 31.4mm watch is rife with burgundy accents, from the dial to the strap, that double as a kind of ode to his Iron Man suit from the Marvel franchise. The piece’s elegant white dial provides an elegant contrast to the lacquered burgundy case (a first for the brand), alongside silver Roman numerals and a beaded crown set with a ruby cabochon. As one of just 150 examples, the large model watch features an engraved case back with the handwritten signature of Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian innovator who designed his first men’s watch for the brand in 1904.
Cartier unveiled the striking timepiece (Ref. CRWGSA0053) at Watches & Wonders last year. Aside from its good looks, the watch also offers the horological heft you’d expect from the brand. Inside, you’ll find Swiss watchmaker’s 430 MC, an ultra-thin, hand-wound movement, which run at a frequency of 21,600 vph, and provides a 36-hour power reserve. It also promises water resistance up to 30.5 metres.
This Santos-Dumont is no longer produced, but it is available on the resale market for around US$28,000. For his part, Downey Jr. appears to be something of a v stan. In addition to the watch, he rocked a host of other accessories from the brand on Sunday, including a Love Motif lapel gem in 18-karat white gold with diamonds, Santos de Cartier cufflinks in sterling silver, a Cartier Tank Française ring in 18-karat white gold, and the Cartier Juste un Clou ring. Now that’s brand loyalty.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA
