‘Holy Horology Batman!’ – Who wore it best?

Instagram is full of pics from the crazy collections of millionaire musicians and sportsmen, but what do billionaires wear? Specifically, secretive billionaires with a stockpile of cool gadgets and a penchant for fighting crime in the evenings. It is telling that, in an online list of 50 ‘Bat-Gadgets’ that range from underwater propellor boots to the classic Batarang, there is no mention of a Bat-watch.

Is this because the caped crusader is actually a watch brand ambassador? Switching out the promotional timepiece for a souped-up gismo wouldn’t go down well with the marketing guys in Switzerland. In this case, the change of the man behind the mask sometimes leads to a change of the brand on the wrist, but which watch most suits the Kevlar suit? Who wore it best?

For a man with a double life, there is one watch that stands out as the obvious choice. Back in 1995 Val Kilmer’s Batman opted for the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Grand Taille. The reversibility of the case offering both elegance and durability, a perfect metaphor for Bruce Wayne and his alter ego although the communication screen on the case back was never in the JLC catalogue collection. The model also appeared when Christian Bale took over the role, although the final film of the trilogy saw him upgrade to the JLC Reverso Grande Date, a more complex watch with a sapphire display case back. Jaeger-LeCoultre produced a 10-piece limited edition of their slim ‘Tribute’ Reverso for the Warner Brothers Execs with a black lacquer ‘Bat’ engraved on the steel back.

Times change, actors change, directors change, and so do watches. If the Kilmer/Bale era was all about the complex duality of the role, Affleck’s watch was about wealth and an interest in historic and complex technology. The brand was Breguet, one of the most prestigious and storied watchmakers, and the model was the 7047PT Tradition Fusee Tourbillon. Cased in platinum the watch features an off-centre dial, one of the largest tourbillon cages ever put into a wristwatch and a fusée, a complex gearing mechanism that dates back to the 16th century. More pertinently for the role, it was large, imposing, and with the ruthenium coating to the movement plates, largely black.

Both Batmen showed sophisticated watch knowledge in the choices, neither model was what you call ‘mainstream’, but which watch is the ‘Bat-watch’ slim and elegant steel or big, bold platinum? You decide.