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Why big men look “stunning” in small watches, starring the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the ‘King’ Lebron James and Audemars Piguet Why big men look “stunning” in small watches, starring the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the ‘King’ Lebron James and Audemars Piguet

Why big men look “stunning” in small watches, starring the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, the ‘King’ Lebron James and Audemars Piguet

Andrew McUtchen

The conversation kicked off with a comment by watch collector and dealer Eric Ku in the most recent Watch & Chill episode (skip to the timecode in the description). “I was obsessively watching this show Ballers… with the Rock. In this last season, [he] was wearing the purple Frosted Gold Royal Oak chrono. I distinctly remember him wearing it in multiple episodes. It was kind of interesting…”

Dwayne Rock Johnson Audemars Piguet
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson wearing the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding Chronograph with purple dial (ref #26331BC.GG.1224BC.01) – Image: @justjared

Michael Friedman, Head of Complications of Audemars Piguet, continued: “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him yet, but… he’s a known Audemars Piguet lover and friend of the company. Someone I’d love to meet. A great guy, always really great energy. And those big wtches look small on him.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFnmaBZhQSu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

However, you’d hardly call the 41mm Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding Chronograph with purple dial (ref #26331BC.GG.1224BC.01) a ‘big watch’. And certainly, on the Rock, it looks like a dainty 34mm.  By the same token, you can’t call it a small watch either, but for the purposes of this article, and when compared to his usual selections – most 44mm+ – it’s small, relatively.

Regardless, when it came to this conversation, the genie was well and truly out of the bottle on a topic that is very timely, as the general move towards smaller watch sizes continues to happen at a macro level. “There was one event a while back where I had the honour of being in proximity to ‘The King’, Mr Lebron James,” Michael continues, “and he was wearing a 39mm openworked Royal Oak and it was stunning on his wrist.”

Dwayne Rock Johnson Audemars Piguet

“With his stature and size it really felt like a vintage watch on his wrist, the size and the scale. But it was so incredible to see. Yes, of course he wears very large and more pronounced watches, but to see this elegant, thin, openworked 39mm on the wrist of one of the greatest sports talents of all time, incredible. And of course the conversation proceeded about that watch with him. But I remember that moment, because it was a surprise and it was exciting. These people come into our world, meet the watchmakers, spend time at the bench and they really come to embrace the culture of AP in the way that we dive into their worlds as well.”

See the conversation at the video. Jump right into it using the timecodes in the description.

Michael explains the way that Audemars Piguet interacts with celebrities: “All of these relationships begin with shared passion, existing interest, to dive into the world of AP. Whether it’s a new collector, somebody very discreet or somebody very very famous, we’re not interested in going towards people who might have an interest in what we do. Of course, we teach, we educate, we share, but when it comes to those types of relationships and partnerships, it’s very genuine, it starts from the product, from the watches themselves, how they’re made and how they’re created.”