Sir Jackie Stewart, racing driver and fighter
The best souvenir I brought home was the Rolex Daytona I got when I won the Monte Carlo Grand Prix in 1971. That was a big deal for me. I still have it. The second was when I did well at Indianapolis in 1966 [Stewart had to retire from the lead with nine laps to go]and Texan John Mecom Jr, who owned the team I drove for, was so pleased with my grid position that he took me to Houston and bought me a solid gold Rolex Day-Date. I’ve never had anything like this for that price in my life, it was crazy.
Tadao Ando, ​​Pritzker Prize-winning architect
I have a collection of fountain pens, many of which I have received as gifts over the years. I’m not necessarily interested in the act of collecting, because I like the designed objects to be simple, robust and balance price, aesthetics and functionality. My favorite is the red Montblanc fountain pen designed by Marc Newson. An ingenious magnetic mechanism allows the pen logo and cap to align perfectly when closed. I also have what almost amounts to a collection of ice watches in various colors. I rotate them according to the day.
Martin Ephson, interior entrepreneur
My personal style signifier is my watch, a vintage Patek Philippe chronograph 1954. I’ve been wearing it for about three years now. It is made with understated elegance. Patek Philippe is a brand I have always wanted. It developed at a time when bling wasn’t even in the dictionary, and it’s nice to know it’s still a family business today.
Jung Lee, founder of Fête NY
The last thing I bought and loved was the Hermès Apple Watch. I haven’t worn a watch in a long time, but since I kept losing my phone, it seemed like a good solution. I went with a classic tan belt that goes with everything. Apple Watch Hermèsfrom £1,229
Mai Ikuzawa, creative director, consultant and designer
The last thing I bought and loved was the Bamford London Skater Snoopy watch which has a modified black bracelet. I’ve been a huge Snoopy fan since I was a kid, and it’s great when your friend shares a Snoopy fetish. I would love to make a Team Ikuzawa x Snoopy x Bamford product one day. Bamford Snoopy watch£1,700
Mimi Xu, DJ
The best gift I received is a vintage Rolex Oyster Perpetual from the 1970s from an ex-boyfriend. It’s a men’s watch, but it’s just me. It’s robust, it’s contemporary, it’s minimalistic; it’s like a piece of jewelry that I wear all the time.
Francis Mallmann, cook
The best gifts I gave were watches for each of my children’s 18th birthdays. I bought my first one in 1981 – a Cartier Santos Ronde – with my eldest daughter, who is now 42. I gave my son Andino, who is 18, my old Hermès Arceau. I have to buy watches because I have two more children.
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 Paris
The last thing I bought and loved was a 1977 gold Cartier Tank with hand painted Roman numerals and a Paris dial. I was looking 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 1970s and wore it to Le Sept and Le Palace which were really trendy places at the time – he’d see Yves Saint Laurent and Karl there Lagerfeld. He wanted to make sure I was really careful with it.
Stefan Brüggemann, multidisciplinary artist
The gadget I can’t live without is my Apple Watch, which I use to track my sleep. I also play a lot of tennis, so that speaks to how physically I was doing.
Rita Konig, interior designer
An 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 soft spot for watches and I had this gut feeling when I saw these. It has a leather strap with white stitching and I love the simple, round face which is quite unusual for a Cartier watch.
Becky Fatemi, real estate agent and founder of Rokstone
My personal signature of style is accessories. I wear a lot of vintage Chanel, Bulgari and Cartier watches that belonged to my mom. When we left Iran in 1979, we left with nothing and Mom took only a small bag with her jewelry, including a watch and a diamond signet ring. I always knew if we had guests over because the accessories would come out, so for me it was all about the accessories, ever since I was a kid.
Jimmy Chin, mountaineer and filmmaker
I recently added a Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback watch to my wardrobe – which I helped design. Chrono flyback diving watch, $19,100
Marie-Laure Cérède, Creative Director of Cartier Watches and Jewelry
My personal style signifier is always my watch. I’m currently switching between a Cartier Libre wristwatch and a Crash watch, a design I fell in love with before joining the company. It is original and unique, a typical Cartier design. Crash was inspired by a Cartier watch that was crushed in an accident, and the Radieuse is a particularly creative piece because we “crashed” it twice. I am 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 pair of Nike Space Hippies – a modern marvel of sneaker design. Together with my Ressence titanium watch, it is my daily staple.