Spotlight: Bradley Cooper

Actor, producer and director Bradley Cooper has been the ambassador of Swiss brand IWC since 2018.

time for a private man By Leslie Garisto Pfaff ACTOR BRADLEY COOPER KEEPS MUM ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LIFE. BUT THE WATCHES HE’S OWNED REVEAL HIS PASSION FOR QUALITY—AND CHARITY.

It was an unforgettable Oscars moment: stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga performing “Shallow,” the perfect gem of a duet from their Academy Award-nominated remake of A Star Is Born. The 2019 performance raised collective goose bumps, and so did another gem, this one on Cooper’s left wrist: an IWC Big Pilot IW500901 Edition “Le Petit Prince,” with a navy blue dial and a rosegold case. Boasting the largest ever IWC-manufactured movement, the watch would be a knockout under any circumstances. But like all of the watches in IWC’s “Petit Prince” line, this one also bore a stirring inscription on the back from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved book of the same name: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.”

The watch was already a celebrity in its own right, having made numerous appearances on Cooper’s wrist: in the stands at Wimbledon witnessing Andy Murray’s historic 2013 win against Novak Djokovic, taking a stroll down the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, and dazzling audiences in the movie Aloha in 2015.

Cooper is famously reticent about his personal life. In a 2018 New York Times article, responding to a request for emotional revelations about the filming of A Star Is Born, he politely declined. “I don’t necessarily see the upside of it,” he explained. Instead, he lets his work—and his wardrobe—tell the story. The former began with his 1999 walk-on in the television series Sex and the City but didn’t take off until Cooper’s costarring role in 2009’s The Hangover. He proved he could play dramatic and comedic roles with equal dexterity in the 2012 romcom Silver Linings Playbook and 2014’s American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood.

As to his wardrobe, Cooper rocks a bomber jacket and jeans with the same aplomb he shows in a classic tux. And he’s just as likely to wear one of his favorite IWCs with flip-flops as with formal wear. Besides having owned the Big Pilot, he has an IWC Portuguese Chronograph, featuring a classic dial with Arabic numerals and slender, propeller-style hands. He was already firmly associated with IWC when he was named its brand ambassador in 2018. But before then, he was often seen wearing the vintage Rolex GMT-Master “Root Beer,” reportedly given to him by Clint Eastwood when the two were filming American Sniper. Initially released in 1954, the watch can display two time zones simultaneously (as requested by Pan American Airways for its zone-hopping pilots). But it earned its “Root Beer” nickname for its striking brown bezel.

Cooper has also been spotted wearing an 18-karat yellow-gold Rolex Yachtmaster. Designed for rugged outdoor activities, with a 31-jewel movement and rotating bezel, the watch is famous for its precision. What you won’t see Cooper wearing any longer is that IWC Big Pilot. The charitable star—in 2014 he founded the Charles J. Cooper Patient Support Fund to assist cancer patients and their families—agreed to auction off the watch, post-Oscars, to benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation. Sotheby’s estimated the listing at between $20,000 and $30,000, but thanks partly to the watch’s cool Oscars provenance, it eventually went for $60,000, no doubt pleasing its former owner. Oh—and “Shallow” garnered an Oscar for Best Song, which probably cheered Cooper as well.

FACE TIME

Bradley Cooper is the man of the hour thanks to an expansive collection of IWC and Rolex timepieces, including these:

The actor has been spotted on numerous occasions wearing his Rolex Yachtmaster in 18k yellow gold, complete with a 31 jewel movement and a rotating bezel.

Cooper has been the ambassador of IWC since 2008, and auctioned off the Big Pilot IW500901 Edition “Le Petit Prince” for $60,000. He still owns this 46mm IWC Big Pilot.

The Rolex GMT-Master “Root Beer” was reportedly a gift to Cooper from his American Sniper director, Clint Eastwood.