Ken’s Gold Watches in the ‘Barbie’ Movie: Everything You Need to Know

And just like that, the hype color of 2023 is apparently hot pink. The new Barbie movie directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie is the topic of excited internet chatter following its $155 million opening weekend, but watch fans were scoping the wrist of Ryan Gosling as Ken in one particular scene.

White fur coat. No shirt. Three gold watches. At once. It’s a lot to take in, as much of the movie’s neon wardrobe is, but the watches themselves are no plastic props from Barbieland — we’re looking at vintage chronographs, all from Heuer’s celebrated Carrera collection. Here’s what you need to know about them.

TAG Heuer

Gosling Is a TAG Heuer Ambassador

Is it any surprise or coincidence that all three watches Ken wears are from the same brand? Not at all. In a vacuum, there are all manner of showy watches that might fit the colorful character, but Ryan Gosling is one of TAG Heuer‘s most visible celebrity ambassadors. (The watchmaker Heuer has been known as TAG Heuer since the 1980s.)

Vintage watches are an interesting choice, but gold watches from the ’70s fit the over-the-top, midcentury-modern style and character. Gosling certainly could’ve worn modern watches, like the pink-dialed, time-only modern Carrera Date he wore for the movie’s premier. (More Barbie pink carpet watch spotting: Gerwig wore a vintage Movado and Will Ferrell wore a pink (“salmon”)-dialed Oris ProPilot X 400.)

Also unexpected is the three-watches-at-once look in the film (though the character is bare-wristed in most of the movie), one-upping even “double-wristing,” which is usually reserved for watchnerds. Following Buzz Aldrin with his triple Omega Speedmaster combo, though, could this be the next trend? Just as long as it’s not paired with fur coats, bare chests and headbands, please.

Here are the specific watch references Gosling wore in the film, curated by TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck, according to GQ.

Heuer Carrera 1158 CHN

TAG Heuer

Starting with the most significant, the reference 1158 hails from 1971 and features some notable traits. Unlike more representative Carrera watches from the 1960s with traditional round cases, it’s got a tonneau case and a further unique look thanks to the configuration of the Calibre 11 movement inside, which positions the crown on the left and chronograph pushers on the right side of the case. The “panda“-like subdials are also very of their era, though once again en vogue today.

Known as one of Carrera creator Jack Heuer’s favorite watches, these Heuer watches were also presented to F1 Ferrari drivers in the ’70s. Ken wears his on a gold Milanese bracelet, a particularly sought-after configuration. This model further stands out in solid 18k gold whereas Ken’s other watches are gold-toned stainless steel.

Heuer Carrera 110.515

TAG Heuer

A similar look to the 1158 above, the 110.515 also features a tonneau case, but here a more extreme tonneau shape with a very ’70s look. It’s got the same black contrasting subdials and the layout of the Calibre 11’s crown and pushers. As a slightly later model (1974), it boasts an upgrade to the Caliber 11 inside, the Caliber 12. Aside from being in stainless steel rather than full gold, another notable difference here is the dial: it ups the bling factor a bit with a vertical finish similar to Geneva stripes commonly found on watch movements.

Heuer Carrera 2448 NT

TAG Heuer

Mixing things up slightly compared to the two watches above is a more traditional Carrera look, but still with plenty of gold. Here, rather than the monochrome look with a gold dial matched to gold case is a black dial with a white rehaut. Dating to the 1960s, it’s got the conservative and familiar but very legible and pragmatic design that makes the Carrera collection successful to begin with, here in a gold-plated steel case with a conventional round shape.

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