Ryan Gosling is quickly establishing a reputation for becoming one of Hollywood's most notable 'watch guys' – and a recent anecdote behind arguably the most iconic watch he's ever worn on screen only reinforces that.
Ryan Gosling has got amazing range – from romantic comedies like Crazy, Stupid Love or serious biopics like First Man, the Canadian actor can do it all. But his role as the eponymous, enigmatic Driver in Drive remains his most iconic.
It's also lowkey one of the best 'watch films' of the 21st century. The Driver's Patek Philippe watch plays a critical role in the film: the enigmatic criminal-for-hire strapping the watch to his car's steering wheel on multiple occasions to time his 'five-minute rule' for getaway jobs:
"You give me a time and place, I give you a five-minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours, no matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that, and you're on your own."
Ryan Gosling as The Driver in Drive (2011)
What many people don't know is that Gosling actually worked with the props department for the film to design the watch – and that he is (or was) the only one in the world who actually owns one. In a response to a misinformed TikTok detailing Gosling's watch collection, vintage watch dealer Tom Watts (@wattsonwatches) explains the backstory behind the iconic Patek.
WATCH vintage watch dealer Tom Watts explain how Ryan Gosling designed the 'fake' Patek Philippe watch he wore in Drive (2011).
Essentially, Gosling worked with prop master Will Blount to design the watch, which superficially resembles a Patek Philippe Calatrava – just much, much bigger. That is to say, it's technically not a real Patek.
But as Watts explains, a real Patek would have been totally impractical for the film anyway, with the number of fight scenes involved – it would just keep breaking, and cost the props department a fortune. Indeed, Blount made a number of prop Pateks for Gosling to wear during filming.
Of the half a dozen Pateks made for the film, Gosling apparently kept one for himself as a memento – it's not clear what happened to all the others. One, however, popped up for sale online back in 2021.
RELATED: What If James Bond Didn't Wear An OMEGA?
Gosling straps his Patek to his steering wheel in the iconic opening scene of Drive. Image: FilmDistrict
However, all this effort begs the question: why didn't Gosling use a chronograph? Surely if you're looking to time things effectively, a chronograph would be a much more practical option. A TAG Heuer Carrera would be perfect for the job – as Gosling has found in his latest filmic exploit...
The post Ryan Gosling Designed His Own Patek Philippe Watch For Iconic Film Role appeared first on DMARGE.
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