Jennifer Aniston doesn’t need to impress anybody. A working television and film actress since the late 1980s (and more recently, a producer/director), she’s one of the most famous women in the world. She’s a deft comedic actress (including her role in one of my favourites, Office Space), and adept in serious dramatic roles as well. Her hall of fame CV is stellar, having won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two SAG Awards. She’s so famous, she has a haircut named after her most well-known character. Someone with her blinding level of star power can wear any damn thing she wants, which makes her tastefully understated watch collection all the more impressive. The watch press doesn’t give a ton of ink to women collectors, although, thank God, that seems to be changing. Frankly, a lot of celebrities play it pretty safe when it comes to their watch choices, or they just stick to the brand they represent, but Jen’s collection seems to have evolved with a bit more thought and consideration. For someone who has those insane Friends residuals and could buy whatever she cares to, she’s mostly steered clear of smaller or jewelled watches in favour of choosing her own path. Apart from her first watch (a Mickey Mouse model), her initial foray into serious timepieces was a vintage Rolex. It’s unclear which model she bought, but it was a significant purchase at the time, since she had yet to reap the financial rewards of those Friends benefits.

Jen has long been a Rolex fan, and was ahead of the curve in choosing bigger watches for smaller wrists. One of her most often-seen faves is a luxe classic, the 36mm Day-Date in yellow gold with champagne dial, with the characteristic President bracelet, but with an added twist: A smooth bezel, as opposed to the more commonly seen fluted variant. This may be the one that was gifted to her by a former paramour, guitarist John Mayer. In a bit of intrigue, some of Mayer’s watch purchases from that time may have been fakes, and a lawsuit against the dealer followed. No matter its past, the watch is clearly a favourite of Aniston’s, and since she’s continued to wear it often (seen here with ex-husband Justin Theroux), it’s doubtful that this Rolex isn’t the real deal. Jen’s also been spotted with stainless Datejusts, one with a white dial, and one in tasty salmon.

One of Aniston’s boldest timepieces is her customised blacked-out Rolex Milgauss, seen here at an event for Marley and Me with Owen Wilson. You can always bet on black for timeless style, and her Milgauss is a bit unusual, since the trademark green crystal has been swapped out for a clear one. With its 40mm case size and stealth-wealth looks, it’s a baller choice for anyone, and proves that Jen definitely marches to the beat of her own drum.

Lest you think that this queen of sitcom royalty is exclusively beholden to The Crown, Aniston isn’t afraid to follow different paths with her collection. Jen’s had at least two Cartiers on her wrist, including the Cartier Tank Solo worn in 2006’s The Breakup. It’s a timepiece with that classic Tank look, versatile enough for almost any setting.

She’s also been spotted with the now-discontinued stainless Roadster, a bolder choice with a curvaceous screwed bezel, substantial bracelet, and the cool integration of the date cyclops into the lines that extend to the prominent crown. The contours of the case really do evoke classic automotive design, and it’s a great, often overlooked Cartier.

Aniston now stars on the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, and her character, morning news powerhouse Alex Levy, is a devoted fan of Chopard.

It’s an outside-the-box bit of placement, but a perfect fit for her character, with some bold references in Alex’s preferred rose gold, including the 40mm L.U.C XPS with small seconds, and the imposing 43mm L.U.C Regulator with GMT functionality, perfect for a girlboss of her stature.

And after Season 1’s turmoil, Alex has upped the ante in a big way for Season 2. Her choice? The mindblowingly epic 41mm Alpine Eagle in rose gold with blue dial. Chopard has really come up with a winner with the release of this Royal Oak killer, based on their St. Moritz integrated sports model from the ’80s. Setting aside the flawless execution of the case and bracelet, the real show is that uniquely textured blue dial, designed to evoke the appearance of said eagle’s eye. This gorgeous reference has a 60-hour COSC-certified movement, and its finishing is breathtaking.

The $50,000 retail price tag seems like a totally believable perk for a network anchor to gift herself, considering recent events in her life. And that’s a wrap, people.

The Seiko Presage SPB293 is the essence of Japanese porcelain mastery

The Seiko Presage line has long been a great value proposition. From the evergreen Cocktail Time range, the patterned Sharp Edge to this, the Craftsmanship collection and their porcelain dials, there’s plenty to choose from. The latest in the collection, comes with an entire storyline as well, taking you back to the heart of Japanese porcelain making, Arita. The Seiko Presage SPB293 inherits some familiar design cues from its porcelain predecessors, yet brings a pared-back aesthetic that is sure to enthuse many.

Fluid and smooth

This is one of those dials that you simply have to see in person to experience fully. You’ll laugh, but it genuinely looks crafted rather than manufactured. With its ever so slight uneven surface, the light lingers on one particular spot, before flowing onto the next, as you turn the watch around. Owing to the many applied and fired layers of porcelain, there’s a particular lucence to the dial that’s nigh impossible to capture on camera. The step has a fluidity to it, taking your eye to the elongated printing of the Roman numerals, which conform to the curvature of the dial. The other printing is also applied crisply, and almost perfect – I’d even take it to the next level, eliminating the Presage automatic printing altogether. This would make for a perfectly minimalistic dial, owing to the exclusion of a date window, thank the horological gods.

The handset is just as elegant as the numerals, with needle-tipped feuille hands, and a pretty seconds hand with a crescent moon counterbalance. The only slight niggle with the hands is that they seem to be painted, rather than heat-blued. While they still have a pleasing effect, I’ve not seen a handset that can replicate the effect of blueing through paint.

Standard Seiko Presage sizing

With a diameter of 40.5mm and a lug-to-lug of 48.8, the SPB293 is very much in line with what we’ve come to expect from the Presage line, though it is a tad larger than one would expect from an out-and-out dress watch. With a highly polished bezel that leads down to a shiny chamfer along the inside of the curvy lugs, the case has a lot of interchanging finishing. This makes for a bit of a light show, even more so considering the polished links in the bracelet. Should you also lament the non-tapering nature of Seiko bracelets, the 20mm lug width should make it a breeze to pop in a leather strap, which will also tone down the look on the wrist.

Considering the domed sapphire crystal and display caseback, the SPB293 measures in at 12.4mm in height, which isn’t insignificant considering the style of the watch. It is, however, proportional to the rest of the measurements, giving the case a sportier feel which is further accentuated by its 10 bar water resistance.

Seiko workhorse movement

Yes I used the w-word. Many movements are labelled as such, but I’d like to believe that the 6R31 is a true definition of its meaning. Adding an extra 20-odd hours of power reserve over its predecessors, the 6R1X movements, it’s a calibre with lineage spanning back to the 1970s. With many iterations throughout and significant upgrades throughout the years, it’s a really solid offering. The stated accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day and a beat rate of 21,600 vph are acceptable, if somewhat unspectacular.

The verdict

This Presage is targeting a niche, as porcelain dials are far and few between, with only a handful of examples coming to mind. It’s a unique alternative to enamel, and a really handsome one at that in the SPB293. Seeing this movement with reduced proportions, virtue of a manually-wound movement, would make the large price premium over other Presage models much more reasonable.

Seiko Presage SPB293 Craftsmanship series pricing and availability:

The Seiko Presage SPB293 is available now from Seiko. Price: A$2,700