Sir Jackie Stewart, motor racing driver and campaigner
The best souvenir I brought home was a Rolex Daytona watch that was given to me when I won the Monte Carlo Grand Prix in 1971. That was a big deal for me. I still have it. The other was when I did well at Indianapolis in 1966 [Stewart had to retire from the lead with nine laps to go], and the Texan, John Mecom Jr., who owned the team I drove for, was so pleased with my grid position that he flew me to Houston and bought me a solid gold Rolex Day-Date. I had never had anything like this in my life at that price, it was crazy.
Tadao Ando, Pritzker Prize-winning architect
I have a collection of pens, many of which I have received as gifts over the years. I’m not necessarily interested in the act of collecting so much as I like designed objects to be simple, strong and balance cost, aesthetics and functionality. My favorite is a red Montblanc fountain pen designed by Marc Newson. A clever magnetic mechanism allows the pen and cap logo to align perfectly when closed. I also have what almost amounts to a collection of different colored ice watches. I rotate them depending on the day.
Martin Ephson, intrapreneur
My personal signature style is my watch, a vintage Patek Philippe chronograph 1954. I’ve been wearing it for about three years now. It’s executed with understated elegance. Patek Philippe is a brand I have always coveted. It evolved at a time when bling wasn’t even in the dictionary, and it’s a joy to know it’s still a family-owned business to this day.
Jung Lee, founder of Fête NY
The last thing I bought and loved was an Apple Watch Hermès. I haven’t carried a watch for very long, but since I was constantly losing my phone, this seemed like a good solution. I went with a classic tan belt that works well with everything. Apple Watch Hermèsfrom £1,229
Mai Ikuzawa, creative director, consultant and designer
The last thing I bought and loved was a Bamford London Skater Snoopy watch, which has a custom black bracelet. I’ve been a huge Snoopy fan since I was a kid and it’s nice when your friend shares a Snoopy fetish. I would love to do a Team Ikuzawa x Snoopy x Bamford product one day. Bamford Snoopy Clock£1700
Mimi Xu, DJ
The best gift I ever received was a vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual from the 70s from an ex-boyfriend. It’s a men’s watch, but it’s just me. It’s bold, it’s contemporary, it’s minimalistic; it’s like a piece of jewelry that you wear all the time.
Francis Mallmann, cook
The best gifts I ever gave were watches for each of my children on their 18th birthdays. I bought my first in 1981 – a Cartier Santos Ronde – and this is with my eldest daughter who is now 42. I gave my son Andino, who recently turned 18, my old Hermès Arceau. I have to keep buying watches as I still have two kids to go.
Pierre Mahéo, founder of Officine Générale
I always wear a vintage watch – a Cartier Tank Chinoise from 1979, which is quite a rare model.
Nicolas Gabard, founder of Husbands Paris
The last thing I bought and loved was a 1977 gold Cartier Tank with hand-painted Roman numerals and a Paris dial. I searched for this watch for a long time and finally found it on a website called Leboncoin. The seller was an old man from the south of France who told me he bought the watch in Paris in the 70s and wore it in Le Sept and Le Palace, which were the really trendy places to go in those days – he I would see Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld there. He wanted to make sure that I would be really careful with him.
Stefan Brüggemann, multidisciplinary artist
The gadget I couldn’t do without is the Apple Watch, which I use to track my sleep. I also play a lot of tennis, so that tells me how I performed physically.
Rita Konig, interior designer
One item I would never part with is my Cartier watch from the 1950s. I bought it for myself last year; I wasn’t necessarily looking for one, but I have a weakness for watches and I had this gut feeling when I saw it. It has a leather strap with white stitching and I like the simple, round face, which is quite unusual for a Cartier watch.
Becky Fatemi, estate agent and founder of Rokstone
The hallmarks of my personal style are accessories. I wear a lot of vintage Chanel, Bulgari and a Cartier watch that belonged to my mom. When we left Iran in 1979, we left with nothing and all my mother took was a small bag with her jewelry, including a watch and a diamond signet ring. I could always tell if we had guests coming as the accessories would come out, so for me it was all about the accessories, ever since I was a kid.
Jimmy Chin, climber and filmmaker
I recently added a Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback watch to my wardrobe – which I helped design. Chrono Flyback diver’s watch, $19,100
Marie-Laure Cérède, creative director of Cartier watches and jewellery
My personal signature of style is always my watch. I currently switch between my Cartier Libre wristwatch and the Crash watch – a design I loved even before I joined the company. It is original and distinctive, a quintessential Cartier design. Crash was inspired by a Cartier watch movement that had been crushed in an accident, and Radieuse is a particularly creative piece because we “crashed” it twice. It makes me proud to wear it. Cartier Libre bracelet£70,500; Cartier Crash Watch£83,000
Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb
My personal style signature is a hip pair of Nike Space – a modern marvel of sneaker design. Along with my Ressence titanium watch, they are my everyday essentials.