You Have to Dream Big to Get Timothée Chalamet’s Obscenely Rare Watch

If you haven’t heard of either the Chronomètre Artisans or Simon Brette, fear not, the brand is still relatively new to the scene. For the uninitiated, however, this is a watch that deserves your attention: Released early in 2023, it’s a “soucription” piece in the old Breguet model—financed through deposits from buyers before it was ever made—of stunning quality and design. Taking the form of a time-only dress watch, it features a stunning red gold dial hand-finished in a special “dragon scale” pattern. When combined with openings that reveal the movement’s componentry—plus a gorgeous “observatory” handset and a classically-influenced hour track—the results are revelatory. Chalamet’s came on a blue strap to match his Marty Supreme jacket.

And this is to say nothing of the movement: When you flip the watch over, a hand-made, hand-wound caliber of the type that captures deep watch guys’ imaginations is revealed: With dual barrels providing 72 hours of power reserve, it boasts a mix of titanium and non-magnetic Phynox componentry, plus a beautifully finished, anthracite three-quarter plate, plenty of interior angles, lots of mirror polishing, and more. Even at a sticker price of CHF 60,000 (roughly $75,000), this is an impressive feat of hand-craftsmanship, and it’s little wonder that Brette’s output of just a dozen pieces per year was completely allocated as soon as word got out about his debut model.

How impossible is it to get your hands on one of Simon Brette’s watches? On Friday, the brand announced a new version of the Chronomètre Artisans, the first ever made out of steel. The new watches, that come with either a green or purple dial, were announced alongside a disappointing disclaimer for hopeful buyers. “As an independent watch brand,” Simon Brette wrote on social media the very day of the watch’s debut, “the watch allocation process begins well before the public presentation. Thus, all pieces found buyers among the hundreds of collectors who were able to express their interest.” This takes IYKYK to a new level.

Given the sort of pieces that Chalamet’s been rocking lately, it’s not entirely surprising that he would’ve copped a Chronomètre Artisans. But it also means that he’s gone deep down the rabbit hole—well beyond the point at which we can ascribe his wrist game to the horological inclinations of an in-the-know stylist. The only thing we can conclude is that we have a genuine Watch Guy on our hands—and that makes us happy.