Gordon Ramsay's Watches - What's in the British Chef's Watch Collection?

Regardless of whether you are a foodie or not, you likely know who the brash British chef Gordon Ramsay is. Equally known for his hot temper and his tasty food, you’re most likely to recognize him for his plethora of television shows, from Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, Kitchen Nightmares to the new Next Level Chef. In addition to having multiple successful television shows, owning 35 restaurants and having 16 Michelin Stars, Gordon Ramsay also has quite the watch collection. So what watches does Gordon Ramsay own? I will take a look at his collection, comprised of Rolex, Breitling and many other brands.

Gordon Ramsay has shown a great affinity for Rolex - And who would blame him? Over the course of researching Ramsay’s collection, I found that a large majority of his pieces are indeed from the iconic Swiss brand.

One of the understated Rolexes from his collection is his vintage Rolex Explorer II Ref. 16550 with cream dial. These cream dial Explorer IIs were produced in the mid-1980s. As with vintage watches, prices vary, but you can pick one up for around $30,000 USD.

Ramsay seems to be a fan of vintage Rolexes. He has been spotted wearing a classic vintage Rolex Submariner Ref. 1680 on brown leather strap. The Submariner Ref. 1680 was first introduced by Rolex in 1969. Prices for this piece start at around $23,000 USD on the secondary market.

Ramsay’s steel Submariner 1680 is not the only vintage Submariner he owns. Ramsay also has a vintage 18k yellow gold Rolex Submariner Date with a “Nipple” dial (Ref. 1680/8). You can pick up one of these beauties for around $50,000 USD on the grey market.

Ramsay has been spotted wearing more modern Rolexes as well. One of my favorites of his modern Rolexes is the Everose Rolex Yacht-Master Ref. 116655 on rubber strap. This piece is very sporty and fairly understated for a gold watch (with the rubber band and black bezel). A rose gold Rolex Yacht-Master costs around $35,000 USD on the secondary market.

The final Rolex from Ramsay’s collection I will look at is probably his most expensive piece. Ramsay has been spotted wearing the Rolex Submariner Ref. 116619. This is no ordinary Submariner. It is referred to in the watch collecting community as the “Smurf” because of its blue bezel and blue dial. With a case made of white gold, the Smurf is currently discontinued (but you can get a white gold Submariner with blue bezel and black dial). It will cost you around $50,000 USD to pick one up in the grey market.

Ramsay does not seem to go for the flashy watches like some other celebrities. While he has a few gold Rolexes, they tend to be understated and not adorned with diamonds. His taste for understated watches extends to the other brands he owns. Ramsay has been spotted wearing the IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII Edition “Tribute To Mark XI” Ref. IW327007. This piece, while very handsome, is about as basic a pilot’s watch as you can get from IWC. It’s a three-hander and the only complication it has is a date. There is no denying the watch looks great on the green olive canvas strap it comes on. This beauty was limited to 1948 pieces. You can pick one up for the reasonable price of $5,750 USD on the secondary market.

Beyond dive watches, it does appear that Ramsay has a thing for aviation/pilot’s watches. In addition to his IWC pilot’s watch, Ramsay owns a Breitling Aeromarine Chrono Avenger M1 Ref. E73360 in titanium. This Breitling is probably my least favorite of Ramsay’s. It’s not because I dislike Breitling, I just believe the yellow dial on this watch leaves a lot to be desired. If the watch had a grey, blue or black dial, my opinion would change significantly on the watch. The price for this piece with a yellow dial is currently around $3,000 on the grey market.

Ramsay also has an Omega in his collection. Based on the collection I have looked at so far, it is clear Gordon favors dive and pilot watches. It makes a lot of sense then that he would have a steel Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer 300m/1000ft Ref. 25318000. This is an older variation of the Seamaster, but you can pick one up on the secondary market for around $2,500 USD.

The final watch I am going to feature from Ramsay’s collection might just be the most interesting piece he owns. The watch comes from a JS Watch Company, a little watch company based in Reykjavik, Iceland. Apparently, Ramsay is a big fan of Iceland (as am I) and travels there often. At one point he visited JS Watch Company’s small workshop, purchased a piece, and took photos with the team. The piece he bought was the JS Watch Company Blue Sif NART 1948 on a tanned calf strap. NART stands for the North Atlantic Rescue Timer and the watch was made in honor of the Icelandic Coast Guard that has patrolled the North Atlantic seas for over 60 years. The watch runs on a Swiss Automatic movement (though it is unclear which particular movement it is) and retails for $3,034 USD. You can pick one up at JS Watch Company’s website.