Our favorite comedians with great watches

Stand-up comics are quite often on stage stage for more than a half hour. During that time they are entirely exposed. It has been said that comedy has a merciless way of measuring success in whether the audience laughed or not. While on stage, as the audience, we notice every detail: the comedian’s expression, clothing, and, of course, what watch they are wearing. 

It’s well documented that most top comedians put in a lot of hours on the club circuit in order to achieve next-level success. So naturally, many will reward themselves when they get a TV or movie deal and a great watch collection is an excellent way to spend their cash in our opinion of course.

Let’s take a look at some of the best known watch collecting comedians.

Photo courtesy of Hodinkee from a screen grab from Netflix's "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee"

At the top our list has to be Ellen Degneres. She is known as perhaps the biggest watch collector among comedians, certainly the biggest Rolex collector. She has an expansive collection that includes a 1655 Explorer II, a 6262 Paul Newman Daytona, a 228206 Day-Date, just to name a few.

Image by Hodinkee

“Seinfeld” writer Spike Ferensten (who made his writing debut with “The Soup Nazi”)  has appeared on Hodinkee’s “Talking Watches,” showing his incredible collection with highlights such as a Rolex Daytona 6263, a bunch of Heuer Autavia models and a Tudor Marine Nationale Sub.

Photo by Product Placement Blog

Speaking of “Seinfeld,” Jerry Seinfeld has been seen wearing a range of Breitling watches (most famously) on his long-running sitcom and in appearances after the run of the show. From a vintage Navitimer to a 1990s Chronomat to an incredible Aerospace EVO Titanium, a ani-digi multifunctional piece that works as a chronograph, alarm and tracks a second time zone.

Photo by ABC News

Aziz Ansari is also a known watch fan, also appearing on “Talking Watches.” Our favorite in his collection is a Day-Date with an onyx dial, which he purchased for himself as a milestone marker for performing at Madison Square Garden. His matte dial 1016 Explorer is also killer, a nice subdued counterpoint to his Day-Date.

Kevin Hart is another major comedian with a stunning watch collection that includes a white gold Sky-Dweller, yellow gold Day-Date and a rose gold Patek Philippe Nautilus. He’s also a fan of Richard Mille, so he likes the wilder side of watch design too. His collection is consistent, with a slew of showpieces that a top entertainer can certainly afford.

Photo by Time and Tide Watches

One of our favorite comedians, Conan O’Brien, is known to wear a custom blacked-out Milgauss, a gift from his wife. This is a low-key, yet strong choice and we applaud him for his subtle flex.

Photo from Rolex Forums

Imagine having a watch engraved with the message: “Thanks for the help, motherfucker.” That’s what Chris Rock had inscribed on the Submariner Date that he gave to Louis C.K. and Tina Fey for helping him rewrite a movie.

So, if you are like us, we have truly enjoyed comedy and watch spotting during this time of being indoors a lot. Did we miss any comedians who have great watch collections? Let us know in the comments.