The Best Watches Spotted at Wimbledon 2026 - and What They Reveal About Modern Luxury
Every July, Wimbledon reminds the world that elegance rarely announces itself. The Royal Box is a study in restraint, where impeccable tailoring, considered details and quiet confidence take centre stage. Against this backdrop, a watch becomes more than an accessory. It becomes a statement of discernment, subtle, yet unmistakable. This year's Championships offered more than a few such statements and here is a look at luxury watches worn by celebrities at Wimbledon 2026.
Which watches were spotted at Wimbledon?
Richard E. Grant's Cartier Santos
Richard E. Grant arrived wearing a two-tone Santos de Cartier, and it was the timepiece that immediately caught the eye. With its steel case, yellow-gold bezel and unmistakable railroad-style minute track, the Santos embodies a design first created in 1904 and still entirely at ease more than a century later. Grant’s choice was not accidental. The Cartier Santos has always understood something that most celebrity luxury watches forget: true elegance rarely needs reinvention or updating. It simply needs to be worn well.
Elle Fanning's Panthère de Cartier
On July 8th, Elle Fanning was photographed courtside in the mini Panthère de Cartier. The steel case, vivid blue dial, and delicate details caught the light without demanding attention. A watch built in 1983, worn now by an actress a third its age, and losing nothing in translation. That is the peculiar genius of the Panthère. It refuses to date itself. Each new wearer simply adds another chapter to its story.
Lily Collins's Panthère de Cartier
Lily Collins brought her signature quiet-luxury sensibility to Centre Court. An ivory Ralph Lauren turtleneck, an asymmetric pleated skirt, and accessories that did the talking: Cartier Love hoop earrings, a Cartier Love ring, and a gold Panthère de Cartier watch. Collins has worn Cartier as its ambassador for years now, and it shows. There was nothing styled-for-effect about the pairing. It simply looked like her.
Rami Malek's Tank Américaine
Days later, Rami Malek chose the Tank Américaine. It is smaller in scale, precise in intention. Paired with a linen suit and little else, it did what a Cartier Tank has always done: convince the room that less truly is more.
Andrew Garfield's IWC Ingenieur
Andrew Garfield took his seat at Centre Court with partner Monica Barbaro, and on his wrist sat the IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic 35 "Pool" an unreleased piece with a textured blue dial. Vintage design language, modern engineering. Few watches at the tournament drew quite as much conversation.
Ncuti Gatwa's TAG Heuer Aquaracer
Then there was Ncuti Gatwa, who went smaller and sharper. His TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Solargraph 100 sat neatly on the wrist a steel case, a blue dial, diamond-set hour markers catching the light just enough. It's solar-powered too, which somehow suits him. Sporting heritage, technical innovation, a touch of polish. That's the Aquaracer in three words, and Gatwa wore it as though he'd known that all along.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sam Claflin & Prince William in Omega.
Elsewhere, sporting heritage found its own audience. Aaron Taylor-Johnson wore the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M beneath immaculate tailoring, while Sam Claflin opted for the Seamaster Aqua Terra, its blue-striped dial offering a subtle nod to the grass courts of the Championships. Neither watch was built for a Centre Court armchair. Both, however, have more than earned their place there. Prince William brought his own chapter to the Seamaster's Wimbledon history. At the men's singles final on July 12th, he wore the same Omega Seamaster Diver 300M he's kept on his wrist for nearly three decades. Continuity like that is rare in watches. Rarer still is wearing it lightly.
Beyond Celebrity
The appeal of Wimbledon has never rested only on who occupies the Royal Box. It rests on a quieter understanding of luxury, at its finest. It is recognised rather than announced. The best watches at Wimbledon spotted this year, whether Cartier or Omega, shared one trait above all. None sought attention. Each rewarded it. That, perhaps, remains the truest language of collecting.
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