WHO WORE IT BEST? Alexander Skarsgard vs Tom Brady and the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph

Whisper it quietly, but earlier this week was Alexander Skarsgard really responsible for instigating the unthinkable and taking down Waystar RoyCo? Of all the formidable actors in Hollywood, it speaks volumes of the 45-year-old Swede that Succession’s head honchos cast him as GoJo CEO Lukas Mattson, believing he was best equipped to not only match Brian Cox’s Logan Roy’s ballsy bravado but ultimately get the batshit-crazy bully to concede power and sign a deal.

It may only be fictional entertainment but Skarsgard’s ability to sit across from Logan Roy (Brian Cox himself is pretty intimidating on set) and say “my company is flying like a rocket ship while your empire is sinking like a lead balloon”. It shows he certainly doesn’t lack in the self-confidence department as he plays the cocksure but cool Lukas Matsson brilliantly. Such behaviour bodes an all important question, at least for us watch fiends: what must a man, seeming bereft of any self-doubt, wear on his wrist?

During the thrilling season finale, there were flashes of an as yet to be unidentified watch on his wrist. Concealing its identity may well be intentional by the show’s wardrobe department because you can tell a lot about a person by the watch they wear, so in everyone’s quest to figure out more about the man seemingly on the brink of succession, it keeps us all guessing. Skarsgard though has a healthy collection of watches and on many occasions has been spotted wearing an IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph. In our new weekly “Who Wore it Better?” column, we pit him up against the GOAT that is Tom Brady – another man very accustomed to the limelight, who loves an IWC Pilot’s Watch more than most.

Given the levels of what-the-fuckery surrounding Skarsgard’s performance in Succession, you’d think this might be something of a forgone conclusion. The brooding Swede is a good-looking man and in the style stakes has regularly been called out for being one of the more fashion-conscious celebrities. But does his style complement his wristwear?

The first thing to note is the size of the Pilot’s watch. At 43mm, you need a pretty sizeable wrist to suit that size. Skarsgard’s physique is slim but built – he keeps himself in good shape and often dresses in casual but fitted T-shirts to show off said physique, so he’s certainly a good match for the Pilot rather than the Big Pilot, I’d say, because the Pilot suits a more relaxed everyday style. Indeed in the words of IWC CEO Christopher Grainger-Herr: “You can wear this anywhere and you can keep it for 20 to 30 years and enjoy.”

Wearing it anywhere is exactly what Skarsgard does, pairing it out and about with a classic v-neck white tee, a scoop-neck black tee, a svelte black shirt, a denim jacket, a ribbed wool jumper and even a button-down collar blue shirt.

Both the black dial and black calfskin strap mean this piece works better with more classic colours. Skarsgard isn’t one for having a huge amount of bold colour in his wardrobe, preferring to keep things understated.

The same can’t really be said for American Football’s golden boy, Tom Brady. Though sporty by profession, Brady is a lot more daring in his style choices, which together with being married to supermodel Gisele, has earned him a reputation as rather fashion-forward for an NFL player. He is no stranger to a Tom Ford tuxedo but when it comes to the watches that adorn his wrist, as an IWC ambassador, it’s interesting to see that the slightly sportier Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Miramar is a clear favourite of Brady’s.

But while Skarsgard stays true to a particular low-key style aesthetic, Brady’s style is less predictable and therefore more open to critiquing. Indeed, one day he can be seen in a backwards cap and pastel orange T-shirt and the next he’s pairing the same watch with a leather bomber jacket and classic white tee.

His sneaker game ranges from actual sportswear to sleeker Common Projects and despite his more athletic build to Skarsgard, he’s less prone to showing off his arms. He’s also less loyal to one watch as well, preferring to mix it up with his GST Chronograph Rattrapante, Spitfire, Portugieser and Ingenieur to name a few.

Brady’s slightly hit and miss style game, coupled with the fact he likes to chop and change his watch wear on the regular means that for me, Skarsgard wins this particular battle. He just seems to know what works for him better than Brady. And while I’m all for pushing the style boundaries and expressing yourself through the clothes you wear, I just get the sense that Skarsgard is a lot more comfortable in his style, and that is demonstrated brilliantly by his watch of choice.