The 2026 Grammy Awards red carpet may have spotlighted immigrant stories and Black excellence, but the watches were just as extravagant as many of the night’s outfits and albums.
Across the carpet, the timepieces followed a clear theme. The night was a mix of vintage restraint, technical sophistication, and unapologetic maximalism, with artists using watches to signal taste, wealth, and, in some cases, deep horological knowledge.
Bad Bunny
Fresh off a historic Grammy moment and ahead of his upcoming Super Bowl LIX performance, Bad Bunny kicked off the night wearing a vintage yellow-gold Cartier Tortue. The rare early-form Cartier favors sculptural design over diamonds, standing out in a room full of round, gem-heavy cases.
Robb Report noted the Tortue as a vintage rarity and a connoisseur’s choice, while Esquire praised it as “design first, status second,” underscoring Bunny’s continued reputation for quiet, intentional luxury.
Skepta
Skepta leaned into bold simplicity, pairing his look with a yellow-gold Rolex Sky-Dweller Ref. 336938. The watch features a champagne dial, annual calendar, dual-time display, and Rolex’s signature fluted bezel.
Priced at $57,200, the Sky-Dweller is one of Rolex’s most technically complex mainstream models, balancing black-tie flash with genuine substance.
Shaboozey
Shaboozey opted for a two-tone Piaget Polo 79 in white and yellow gold, complete with an ultra-thin case and a fluid integrated bracelet, according to Robb Report.
The choice marked a notable shift from his 2025 Grammys appearance, when he wore a white-gold Jacob & Co. Slender Ashoka Boutique watch fully encrusted with Ashoka-cut diamonds and valued at $1.2 million, as reported by WWD. This year’s Piaget signaled restraint without sacrificing presence.
Jermaine Mitchell
Jermaine Mitchell brought retro confidence with the Gerald Charles Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin, featuring an asymmetric case and emerald sunburst dial.
Esquire described it as a “b-side” pick meant for true watch enthusiasts, while Robb Report highlighted its visual impact and Genta-inspired design language. The watch is valued between $30,000 and $50,000, making it an insider favorite rather than a loud flex.
As Robb Report also noted, several other low-profile yet eye-catching watches made appearances throughout the night. John Legend wore a diamond-set Hublot Big Bang Original in King Gold. Miles Caton chose a sapphire-dial Hublot Big Bang King Gold priced at $45,700. Wyclef Jean appeared in a diamond-set titanium Hublot Big Bang Unico Jewelry model.
Jamie Foxx
Some stars, regardless of fame or fortune, went retro and relatively restrained, choosing watches under $100,000. Jamie Foxx did not.
Foxx arrived ready to make a statement with his Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon, a high-complication spectacle complete with a miniature V-16 engine featuring moving pistons and a working crankshaft.
Priced at $445,500, the watch is the kind of piece designed to dominate red carpets and headlines alike. As Esquire noted, this was Jacob & Co. done intentionally: maximal, loud, and impossible to ignore.
Kendrick Lamar
Reserved in demeanor but bold in execution, Kendrick Lamar also made a statement with his timepiece. While he collected five Grammy wins that night, attention was equally drawn to his diamond-set white-gold Cartier Tank Américaine.
With its elongated case and jewelry-forward design, the watch was described as ceremonial rather than practical, with estimates placing its value between $80,000 and well over $150,000. It was the kind of watch worn by someone who already knows the outcome.
Rauw Alejandro, J Balvin, and other high-end flexes
Rauw Alejandro went full maximalist with a $1 million Jacob & Co. Caviar Tourbillon Baguette, encrusted with hundreds of baguette-cut diamonds.
J Balvin shimmered in a sapphire-set Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin, while Alex Warren wore a $114,900 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked.
Leon Thomas, the former Nickelodeon star all grown up, opted for an openworked Royal Oak in white gold. Ludwig Göransson kept things classic with a yellow-gold Cartier Tank Louis Cartier. Jeff Goldblum, never short on taste, wore a $93,400 skeletonized Blancpain Villeret Squelette 8 Jours, according to Robb Report.
Terrace Martin brought true collector energy with a vintage Rolex Daytona Ref. 6263 with pump pushers, valued between $150,000 and more than $250,000.
Timothée Chalamet rounded out the night’s most interesting wristwear with an Urban Jürgensen Ref. 1140 — a nerd-forward independent choice that signals deep horological intent rather than pure red-carpet flex, as Esquire reported.
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