The Unlikely Watch Collector
The Unlikely Watch Collector: Will Ferrell
We’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more watches.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Actor and comedian Will Ferrell is a rare talent who’s so deeply intertwined in pop culture that it feels as if he’s always been part of the zeitgeist. In the last six months alone, his documentary Harper & Will received enthusiastic reviews on the film festival circuit, the annual streaming of Elf brightened our December days, he starred in the rom-com You’re Cordially Invited with Reese Witherspoon on Amazon Prime, and the lead-up to Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary gave birth to an entire show devoted to the “cowbell” sketch.
Guess what? Ferrell is also a watch guy. No one does a red-carpet sleeve reveal better. In honor of the 2025 award season and the big SNL anniversary show, we’ve put together some of our favorite horological moments from Ferrell over the years.
Stay Classy
One thing we love about Ferrell is that his humor feels safe and subversive at the same time. His watch flex is equally edgy. At the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival posed for the paparazzi wearing a Submariner Date ref. 116610LV, aka the Hulk.
Sporting a Rolex is a safe move. Choosing one with an aluminum green Cerachrom bezel and a sunburst green dial is a little bit bolder. It must also be noted that this model debuted at Baselworld in 2010, proving that Ferrell is an old head when it comes to watches.
The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Ferrell is also a Zenith fan. He donned a much sought-after El Primero Striking Tenth Chronograph from 2011 on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2022, and a year later, he was seen wearing a Defy Revival A3691 at the annual Cannes Film Festival.
The Defy Revival is a perfect fit for Ferrell’s quirky personal brand. A reproduction of one of the first Defy wristwatches, this timepiece is old school. Its octagonal stainless steel case with a 14-sided bezel pairs nicely with the funnyman’s surreal sensibility. The smoked burgundy gradient dial is also legendary.
No shade to brand ambassadors and their borrowed timepieces, but we must admire the fact that Ferrell supports the watch community. According to one of our favorite Instagram accounts @watch_momma_, the funnyman bought his Defy Revival at Feldmar Watch Company in Los Angeles.
Another thing we learned by following the Feldmar Instagram account is that Ferrell is also the proud owner of a Girard-Perregaux Laureato. We haven’t found any photos of the comedic actor wearing this watch to any ceremonies yet, but we do know that this sport chic timepiece fits Ferrell’s timepiece tastes to a “T”.
The Laureato gets its name from the raised octagonal bezel that frames the dial like a laurel. The face is also finely engraved with a Clous de Paris motif. Ferrell’s version appears to be in stainless steel with a green dial.
If You Ain’t First, You’re Last
There are a lot of horological heavy hitters in Ferrell’s watch box, but he also has room for everyman brands like Timex.
In January, at the 2024 Critics Choice Awards, Ferrell popped a $100 Timex Camper out from under the sleeve of his black velvet tux. Of course, this isn’t just any Timex. It’s a limited edition collaboration between Timex and the Swedish fishing company Abu Garcia released in 2021 exclusively for the Japanese market. Ferrell’s wife Viveca Paulin is Swedish, so we’re guessing the choice was sentimental.
I’m Kind of a Big Deal
If you follow any watch spotting account, you’ve probably clocked that Ferrell is a fan of colorful dials. This may also explain why he’s an Oris aficionado.
Oris makes seriously fun watches (we table the Kermit and Miss Piggy models as evidence). And Ferrell is obviously a fun guy. For the European premiere of the Barbie movie, in which he played a Mattel executive, Ferrell flashed his personal ProPilot X Calibre 400 with a pink "salmon" dial.
And during his press tour for his Netflix doc Will & Harper, Ferrell was photographed wearing a Divers Sixty-Five Date 40mm with a fumé forest green dial.
You’re My Boy
On screen, Ferrell has parodied all kinds of classic characters from the 1970s newscaster in Anchorman to the delusional NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. However, on the red carpet of the 2024 Golden Globes, the comedian came off surprisingly suave by channeling his inner James Bond. He wore a white tuxedo jacket and a special edition Omega Seamaster No Time to Die.
(Front image © OMEGA)