Last June, Rihanna appeared during Paris Fashion Week at Pharrell Williams’s debut for Louis Vuitton sporting a US$670,000 diamond-paved Jacob & Co Brilliant Flying Tourbillon—not on her wrist, but around her neck. “Is @badgirlriri creating a new watch wearing trend?” the world asked. And since then, the look has been replicated numerous times, the latest example being Taylor Swift at the Grammy Awards last Sunday (fuelling speculation that the hands indicate the time at which her freshly announced studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, will drop, or are set as a reference to her album Midnights). Placing style ahead of time-telling functionality, these are the stars who’ve worn the watch-choker trend best so far.
Taylor Swift with Concord
The 2024 Grammy Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album winner wore an Art Deco-style watch from Concord, affixed to a custom diamond necklace from Lorraine Schwartz.
Rihanna with Jacob & Co
The custom Jacob & Co watch choker seen on Rihanna last June was set with 30 carats of baguette-cut diamonds, plus 338 brilliant-cut diamonds set onto the movement.
Emma Chamberlain with Cartier
The fashion influencer, podcaster and friend of Cartier wore the maison’s Mini Baignoire watch in yellow gold as a necklace, at the Miu Miu fashion show last October.
Mae Tan with Cartier
The Singapore Social cast member followed Emma Chamberlain’s example but with a twist: a diamond-paved white gold Cartier Mini Baignoire.
Julia Fox
The Uncut Gems actress went for a relatively subdued ensemble featuring a watch choker of indeterminable origin for her appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show last October.
Necklaces aren’t the only unconventional way of wearing watches these days. Honourable mentions go to…
Rihanna with Jacob & Co (again)
Mere months after debuting the watch choker, Rihanna teamed up with Jacob the jeweller again to create the watch anklet.
Olivia Rodrigo
For her Rolling Stones cover shoot, the “Vampire” singer was styled wearing watches in all ways imaginable.
Megan Thee Stallion
With this many timepieces, the singer and rapper can’t possibly ever be late.