While recognised for his roles in films ranging from Sherlock Holmes to Tropic Thunder, award winning American actor Robert Downey Jr. is arguably most famous for his role as Iron Man in the Marvel movies. And like many people, he has a unique collection. But what does the man behind Tony Stark collect? Perhaps it won’t come as much of a surprise that one of, if not the, best paid actors has an impressive watch collection. He stated in an interview that “you can learn a lot about a man if you open up his jewellery box,” and that by having a look at his watch collection, one could learn as much about him as anybody on earth. What exactly is included in the eclectic watch collection of one of the avengers? Keep reading to find out.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
One of the top pieces in his collection is a Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT with an open back. He wore this watch in his role as Iron Man, making it a very special and memorable piece. At the premier of Captain America: Civil War he was seen wearing another of Jaeger LeCoultre’s grandiose timepieces, the Geophysic Universal Time. This sophisticated watch came onto the market in 2015 and allows the wearer to tell the time in all 24 time zones simultaneously. Yet another watch he sports from this designer is the Reverso. It’s quite quite different than the previous 2 as this is a much more classic style in trendy rose gold.
Left: Geophysic Universal Time. Right: Reverso
Rolex
Another unique piece in Robert Downey Jr.’s jewellery box is what he refers to as the “green money Rolex.” It is actually Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner which he felt was best suited to a nickname due to the green dial. This stainless steel watch is described by Rolex itself as “the archetype of the diver’s watch”. With such a tagline it’s easy to see why this timepiece had to be included in this celebrity’s collection. Because Rolex is such an iconic brand, why would he just have one? Another in his collection is the GMT-Master II “Ghost” which was purchased as a pair, one gifted to a friend for his birthday and one kept for himself.
Left: Oyster Perpetual Submariner. Right: GMT-Master II
Bell & Ross
A special Bell & Ross Titanium Orange watch was given to Robert Downey Jr. by Ben Stiller when they were wrapping up production of Tropic Thunder. This watch sports a bold look in it’s distinctive square case. Despite the chunky appearance, the watch is impressively light thanks to the titanium construction. Another unique feature of the watch is the dial which is black woven carbon fibre. It offsets the bright orange hands and numbers and makes this watch quite an eye-catcher.
Source: forums.tz-uk.com
Omega
A must-have for any watch collection, Downey Jr. of course has an Omega Speedmaster as well. Much like his famous character, Tony Stark, Downey Jr. takes a casual, almost sarcastic, attitude towards his collection. He describes his Omega as “a lovely timepiece, which is very sporty”, but there’s really nothing more to tell about the watch from his perspective. It is clear, however, that although casual about his expensive timepieces, he does value them.
Baume & Mercier
One particular watch in his collection has a very personal and interesting story behind it. His vintage Baume & Mercier timepiece actually belonged to his grandfather, who traded it to get enough money to start a small pharmacy. He was later “busted” for filling prescriptions for customers who had forged their doctor’s signature. Robert Downey Jr. admits that there is a lot of shame attached to this watch, but brushes that off. It is a fascinating story after all.
Patek Philippe
The last, but certainly not the least, watch we’ll focus on in his collection is a Patek Philippe Nautilus given to him by his wife as a birthday present. He gave this watch a rave review saying that it is “easily the most glamorous watches man can have”. While he may have been trying to impress his wife, we agree that it is an elegant sports watch. The design mimics the shape of a naval vessel’s porthole, making this a maritime masterpiece.
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