Another day, another A-lister stepping off one of those fancy taxi boats in Venice straight into work mode. Up next is Liverpool lad done great, Stephen Graham, who’s in town to drum up awards buzz for Bunker, the psychological drama he stars in alongside Hollywood’s coolest couple, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, and Paul Dano.
If Graham was a professional footballer (he wishes), you’d say he’s currently in the form of his life. Adolescence was his Ballon d’Or win, having spent a decent chunk of his career being the outstanding support act in everything from Boardwalk Empire and Peaky Blinders to Snatch (“Dags? Oh, dogs, yeah I like dogs”) and of course This is England.
When you edge your way up the metaphorical ladder, sometimes little things, tastes or wishes, change. I’m not saying Stephen Graham has had a glow up in the past 24 months, but lately we’ve certainly been called on to wax lyrical about more than just his acting chops. Aside from his Scouse accent and wife Hannah always being by his side though, one other thing about Graham has remained consistent; his kettle. Zoom in on all the gongs he’s won at every awards ceremony going and you’ll see he’s been wearing his trusty old white-dialled Rolex Daytona. And by today’s Daytona standards, it really is trusty and old; his model is likely from circa 2010. Depending on who you talk to, that’s practically vintage.
Composite: GQ / Getty, Louis Vuitton
When Graham touched down in Venice, I clocked the same watch on his wrist. Business as usual; until a quick outfit change and hang on, what’s that on his wrist?
Answer; one of Louis Vuitton’s shiny new Escale pieces in rose gold, which boasts one of the silkiest, satiny dials out there right now. I was not expecting that. The man clearly has an eye for a white-dialled beauty though, I will say that much.
Back in 2024, Louis Vuitton made some big changes to its watchmaking division, paring back a lot of its collections to focus on either time-only dress pieces like Graham’s new grail, or more haute horology. All of these were powered by LV’s own movements made at its La Fabrique du Temps HQ and a man called Michel Navas has largely been responsible for the upturn in LV’s street cred when it comes to watches. He had a hand in Patek’s Nautilus and Franck Muller’s Crazy Hours so it’s not surprising to see him work his magic at Louis Vuitton.
VENICE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 08: Stephen Graham attends the “Bunker” Screening during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 08, 2026 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)Daniele Venturelli
Stephen Graham certainly approves of Navas’s vibe… because hours later he’s back on another red carpet wearing another of LV’s watches – this time one of the updated Tambour pieces in steel with a blue dial. We’ve gotta hand it to you, Stephen, once again you’ve completely taken us by surprise. It’s the sign of a great actor reaching his peak, and this time he has the horological goods to match too.