The Watches on ‘Mad Men’

Very few TV characters have had as much influence on men’s fashion as Mad Men’s Don Draper. His sleek, tailored and classic styling helped resurrect 1960’s fashion; and had the modern man aiming for his suave and sophisticated look.

Don wore amazing dress watches on the show, and lucky for us, they are still being made in contemporary versions today. Check them out:

Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso in rose gold

This becomes Don’s go-to watch since Season 2 of the series, presumably to reflect the fact that he has moved up in the company. The rectangular dress watch has been in production since 1931, originally as a watch for polo players, but its classic Art Deco style quickly gained appeal outside the polo fields.

Rolex Explorer I

Don begins wearing a 1960’s Rolex Explorer I, possibly the reference 1016, in Season 4. There’s no mistaking the watch with its all-steel construction and 3-6-9 Arabic markers.

The Explorer is Rolex’s most classic sports model. Originally created for mountain expeditions, the contrasting black dial and luminous markers, were meant to make it more legible in low-light conditions.

Don also sported a black dial Omega Seamaster De Ville. The era’s Seamaster watches were introduced with a water resistant case, but looked like elegant dress watches. (photo: Christie’s)

Omega DeVille Prestige in yellow gold

In Season 6, we see Don wearing a yellow gold dress watch, presumably another Omega DeVille. The yellow gold case and black leather strap go very well with his warm-colored ensembles for the season.

Jaeger LeCoultre Master Memovox

The Memovox is the very first watch that Don sported on the show. His timepiece featured a Tuxedo dial — that is, a white dial, black outer ring and a round steel case. The style was very popular in the 1960s; however, it was discontinued before the decade ended.

The Master Memovox made a reappearance in 2012; and is still being produced in a sleeker, more modern version today.

It’s not just Don who wore fine timepieces in the show. Roger Sterling, the agency’s silver fox, wore a Tudor Oyster Prince to accompany his sometimes flashy, but impeccable suits. (photo: Christie’s)

____

SEE MORE OF THE WATCHES IN OUR VIDEO:

The Watches on Mad Men | SwissWatchExpo [Watch Collection]