The Unlikely Watch Collector: John Mulaney

We’re big fans of writer, actor, and comedian John Mulaney’s unique brand of observational humor. On one hand, Mulaney, who is only 42, comes off as a much older soul, with his references to Steely Dan and his Loro Piano and Zegna suits. On the other hand, his brand storytelling also relies on having a youthful curiosity about the world and the characters that populate our society.

This brings us to watches. Mulaney has just wrapped the second season of his Netflix series Everybody’s Live, an old-school live variety talk show, but with edgy bits such as having the host fight a bunch of 14-year-olds or uniting alt-rock legends Kim Gordon and Kim Deal for one night only. It may sound chaotic, but at its heart, it is a show about exploring things Mulaney likes. And Mulaney likes watches.

At the top of each episode, he looks at his wrist and proclaims the time. And for each episode, he wore a different watch. The selection was a watch spotter’s dream, including pieces like the Chopard L.U.C Qualité Fleurier in Lucent Steel, a Panerai PAM01641 Luminor Quaranta BiTempo GoldTech, and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, to name a few. However, it also provided a peek into Mulaney’s horological tastes.

Because Mulaney’s watch collection seems endless (spoiler alert: many of the watches he wears on TV are loaners), we can’t pretend to have a complete inventory of his timepieces. Still, we can talk about the ones that pique our own curiosity.

I’m sure if we traveled far enough back in time, we could find photos of Mulaney in a Seiko (in an interview with GQ, the comic claims that the first watch he remembers wearing was a Seiko SKX-009 diver, to be exact).

However, for watch spotters, the comic crossed the line from casual collector to enthusiast when he turned up in a WIRED Autocomplete Interview from 1999 wearing a Frederique Constant Moonphase.

Why unexpected? Most stand-ups tend to opt for a Rolex or an Audemars Piguet when they hit the big time (or, if you are Kevin Hart, all of the above). However, Frederique Constant excels at providing fine finishes, cool complications, and classic design at a much more accessible price compared to other luxury brands. This moonphase is particularly elegant, complementing Mulaney’s on-stage penchant for tailored suits.
 

According to the same GQ interview, Mulaney’s initial interest in watches began when he was gifted a Vacheron Constantin for performing at a billionaire’s daughter’s birthday party. (Note to self: get on the oligarch party circuit). He sold that piece, but out of curiosity, asked the buyer about the resale market for other brands. The buyer suggested Rolex (more on that later).

So, while the original VC is long gone, Mulaney was seen wearing a green-dialed Traditionelle Manual Winding 38mm in pink gold while hosting Saturday Night Live in 2024.
 

If you watched Mulaney’s “Baby J” stand-up special from 2023, you have heard him recount the story of how he bought a Rolex just to flip it to buy drugs (what makes the boyish entertainer stand out amongst stand-ups is the fact that he is funny, but sometimes he can go dark).

If you don’t know the story, in an effort to stay sober, Mulaney instructed his accountant to prevent him from taking cash out of his savings. Despite setting up this roadblock, his credit card still worked, so he purchased a brand-new Rolex for $12,000, then immediately sold it for half its original price.

In November 2021, only a few years after selling that Rolex for cash, Mulaney’s wife, Olivia Munn, gave him a vintage Rolex Air-King to celebrate the birth of their son. The watch is from 1982, Mulaney’s birth year, and has “Malcolm’s Dad” engraved on the caseback.

“That Air-King was coming right off that whole Rolex debacle,” Mulaney told GQ. “It’s linked to a lot of stuff.”
 

This limited-edition métiers d’art piece from 2023 features an urushi lacquer dial created using the ancient Japanese Maki-e technique, adding gold dust to the lacquer and giving extra dimension to the two beautiful bunnies, which are hand-painted in the workshops of Yamada Heiando by master artisan Minori Koizumi.

Mulaney’s brand of storytelling relies on details, so it makes sense that his taste in watches also celebrates the specifics and the complications of life.