Watching Celeb watches – Jason Statham

In our first edition of the ‘Watching Celeb Watches’, we’ve presented you a football player unfortunately better known for being bitten than for his successes on the field. However, we’ve seen that Giorgio Chiellini was a man of very good tastes. This week’s Celebrity Watches focuses on a Hollywood action star known for his love of Panerai watches. And no, it’s not Sylvester Stallone but Jason Statham. A former professional diver and model turned actor.

Watch the starting scene of the movie The Transporter and you will see his Panerai Chronograph make an appearance (albeit with a fake “alarm” beep). Unfortunately, movie-directors not always have that same respect we have for Horology. But that doesn’t change the fact that we love James Bond, even when his Omega Seamasters are coming with a grapnel or a laser…

You will also spot him with a different Panerai watch in each of Sylvester Stallone’s Expendables movies, due to Sylvester Stallone’s relationship with Panerai. In the latest film Expendables 3, he is sporting the new PAM 389. The Panerai PAM 389 has the classic Luminor Submersible design, with a 47mm titanium case and Panerai’s in-house P.9000 calibre. Two other notable features in this PAM 389: its “antimagnetic” properties and its titanium bezel with a ceramic insert. Knowing the brutal force and load of action that this movie will, once again, bring to the public, such a massive and robust watch is certainly a wise choice.

Apart from Panerai, which seems to be a natural choice for an action movie star, we’ve also spotted him with more personal (and, to us, highly interesting) watches. First up is the IWC Doppelchrono (Ref 3713). Doppelchrono is German for Split-Second chronograph (rattrapante). The IWC Doppelchrono was developed by Richard Habring when he was at IWC, using a modified Valjoux 7750 movement. He now uses a modified version of the original for his own independent brand Habring2, after the original patent expired, in the Doppel 3 that we fully reviewed a few months ago. He has also been spotted wearing a massive IWC Big Pilot.

The Gerald Genta designed Nautilus makes another appearance this week. We’ve seen that Giorgio Chiellini was wearing one in our previous featured article. Now, it is on the wrist of Mr Statham that we can find a Patek Philippe 5980 Chronograph in stainless steel. To have a complete understanding of what this superb chronograph is, check out the review that Evan wrote recently here.

Several Rolexes are also adorning Jason’s wrist. The Daytona with a black dial Reference 116520 has found grace to his eyes. The final watch is certainly the one we prefer here, a vintage Rolex and a pretty good one too. It is an Explorer II 1655 Orange Hand. A very nice choice that proves that, even if only playing in heavy action movies, Jason Statham also has a certain sense of taste and refinement.

UPDATE: Jason Statham had been spotted with his Rolex Explorer II 1655, for the Expendables 3 movie premiere in London the 4th of August 2014…