Robert Downey Jr is known for his distinct personal style. From his Elton John inspired eyewear to bold suits, it’s always easy to see the Avengers actor coming. He knows what he likes. And that goes for his watches too.
Quietly, Downey Jr has established one of the most eclectic and in the know collections in Hollywood. What he likes in a watch is clear. He likes size, he puts a lot of value in the skill of the complication and he also seems to value rarity, scarcely going near a watch that can be obtained by a mere mortal.
Downey Jr is also not a slavish devotee to the big brands everybody knows and loves. Yes, he owns Rolex’s and Patek Philippe’s but what is most interesting about his horological taste is the brands you likely haven’t heard of or know little about that Downey Jr has made an integral part of his watch identity.
Below, we have taken a close look at some of the standout pieces in Downey’ Jr’s watch collection.
Rolex Submariner 116610LV “Hulk”
Amazingly, this is at the more accessible end of Downey Jr’s watch collection. It’s also only right that Iron Man has a watch that is nicknamed the Hulk for its bright green bezel and dial. However, the Oscar winner prefers to call the watch the “Money Green”. Since discontinued, the Hulk is much sought after on the secondary market, likely due to its stand-out colour profile.
Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT
The Oppenheimer actor has long been a fan of Jaeger-LeCoultre, wearing a Reverso Tribute Chronograph on one of the biggest nights of his career when he won an Oscar in 2024. But the standout JLC in his collection is the AMVOX3 Tourbillon GMT which he wore throughout the filming and press of Iron Man 2. A JLC collaboration with Aston Martin, the watch features a skeleton dial and was limited to just 300 pieces, making it an incredibly rare item. Downey Jr also called it “probably my best watch”.
Cartier Santos-Dumont Lacquered Case
A more leftfield choice for Downey Jr, who it can be said generally prefers muscular, incredibly technical watches, this Cartier nonetheless fits his MO as it is incredibly rare. Only 150 pieces were manufactured making it one of the rarer Cartier watches to be made in recent years. It’s probably most noteworthy for its deep burgundy alligator strap and ruby crown.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Complete Calendar
Worn during an awkward comedy skit at this year’s Academy Awards, Downey Jr has been on a green trend of late (likely due to his upcoming role as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday) with this Blancpain complimenting his all-emerald ensemble. With a quirky dial which displays moonphases on a rotating disk, it’s a very Tony Stark watch.
Greubel Forsey GMT Tourbillon
Only founded in 2004, Greubel Forsey have developed a reputation for incredibly complicated and even more expensive watches that take years to make. This GMT Tourbillon was limited to just 22 issues costing more than $600,000 at retail and features an actual rotating 3D globe on the dial, putting this at the unique intersection of horology, art and invention.
Urwerk UR-110RG
Another high-end Swiss company that eschew the mainstream, Urwerk fits the bill for Downey Jr and his love of watches that push technological limitations. The actor got in touch with the company shortly before filming Spider-Man: Homecoming as he wanted to use their UR-110RG in the movie. Featuring quite prominently in the film, Downey Jr later auctioned the watch off to raise money for charity however Urwerk then gifted him an identical piece as a thank you for his generosity. Downey Jr has gone on to wear a number of their watches over the years, usually when in production on a Marvel movie before auctioning all of them, raising around $700,000 for various charities.
Like this? ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’: What’s the watch that Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher is wearing?
Get your hands on the latest issue of Something About Rocks magazine
