To call a Rolex Daytona the watch of Monterey Car Week is an understatement. For the near weeklong extravaganza, whose marquee stretch opened August 12 with Hagerty's Motorlux, an evening of rare automobiles and aircraft at the Monterey Jet Center, through the RM Sotheby's and Broad Arrow auctions, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on August 14, and the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 16, the last Sandra Button will preside over as chairman, every generation and every combination was on display. From John Player Specials to steel, acrylic, Cerachrom and ceramic bezels, Big Reds, Little Reds, exotics, rainbows, they were all on wrists. It's possible that all these men really do just want to embody the spirit of Paul Newman.

But there's so much more to the wrists of Pebble Beach (and Carmel and Monterey). This year, our editor-in-chief and editorial director Alexandra Cheney set out to explore beyond the Daytonas (although a few are included here) to see what timepieces were deemed worthy of the week.

“I love it because it’s a brutalist wristwatch, there aren’t many of those, and a conversation starter,” Magnus Walker told me at the Lamborghini Villa during Concours d'Elegance. 

The solid 18K gold dial with a ripple pattern is inspired by water. Set in a 32mm grade 5 titanium case, brushed and matte blasted, under a faceted asymmetrical sapphire crystal, on an integrated titanium bracelet with a concealed butterfly clasp. The b/1.3r debuted as the brand's first watch in titanium, and its first dial in precious metal after earlier runs in lapis lazuli and meteorite. Phil Toledano and Alfred Chan started the brand in 2024 on a shared fixation with the geometry of Marcel Breuer's Whitney Museum and cap each release at 300 pieces.

“I wore it as an ode to Marc Newson and his alternative way of thinking. His name is shaking up the car industry right now, plus, the rubber strap is reminiscent of tires,” said Chris, who declined to give his last name citing security concerns. 

Designed by Marc Newson, who co-founded Ikepod with Oliver Ike in 1994, the Hemipode arrived in the late 1990s as a 44mm lugless monocoque chronograph on an integrated rubber strap. Newson built it around an ETA 7750 base with a second time zone worked by an off-center pusher, and a case that opens from the top. Newson and Jony Ive, through their collective LoveFrom, shaped the Ferrari Luce with Ferrari's own design team. Chassis 0, the first production chassis of the Luce program, Ferrari's first fully electric production car, sold for $40 million at RM Sotheby's Monterey against an estimate above $1.1 million, with the buyer's premium waived and all proceeds going to the Ferrari Foundation. A standard Luce lists at 550,000 euros, and the result stands as the most expensive new vehicle ever sold at auction.

"I wear the red strap when I want it to really pop," Justina said at the Quail. "It's certainly a special occasion watch, but one I always like to have on, and it's very comfortable." Justina declined to give her last name citing security concerns.

A 39.9mm rose gold case with a bezel set in the invisible setting technique, this Patek features 40 baguette-cut multicolored sapphires and 40 baguette-cut diamonds as well as a white mother-of-pearl dial and baguette sapphire hour markers. Inside is the CH 28-520, a flyback chronograph with vertical clutch, the first self-winding chronograph in the line for women. It comes with three composite straps: red, matte beige and matte white.

“It’s just the most perfect watch for me,” Joe Richardson told C&C at Concours. On his wrist more often than it isn’t, the Cintrée ("curved" in French) has been in the Tank family since 1921, the elongated, wrist-hugging version of Louis Cartier's 1917 original. This edition is housed in an 18K curved case with black dial with Arabic numerals.

Running the caliber 3136 with an Azzurro blue Roman numeral dial, Mike Rocco’s favorite color, this 41mm steel case is “the perfect size to make a statement but remain wearable,” he said at the Quail, with an 18K white gold fluted bezel and an Oyster bracelet. 

The 3136 was built for this watch and no other, a 3135 with a larger mainplate to carry the oversize date wheel, a blue Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, good for 48 hours. The case runs 12.2mm thick with a 49.5mm lug-to-lug, half a millimeter and two millimeters more, respectively, than the Datejust 41 that succeeded it. The 116334 sits between the smooth-bezel steel 116300 and the Yellow Rolesor 116333, and it is the only one of the three with a white gold fluted bezel.

For Morgan Theys, a lifelong fan of The Adventures of Tintin, the 42mm steel Speedmaster with a red and white checkered minute track (inspired by the moon rocket from the comics) is absolutely her grail watch. The manual-wind caliber 1861 under a black aluminum tachymeter bezel, “Tintin” (as Theys calls it) was introduced in 2013 and out of production by roughly mid-2015, which is most of the reason it is now a cult reference.

"I live in the south of France, and I got it because I have a very, very good relationship with my AD, and he's known for many years that I wanted it," said Mario at the Quail. He calls himself a man in motorsports but declined to give his last name, citing security concerns.

White gold with a black Cerachrom bezel, this Daytona carries the number 100 in red ceramic on the tachymetric scale, marking the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The caliber 4132, a modified 4131, drives a 24-hour totalizer rather than the usual 12. Rolex ran the white gold version for less than a year before replacing it with yellow gold in April 2024. 

“Isn’t it just the best,” said Wolfgang, from Germany, who declined to give his last name, citing security concerns. He said he’s owned the watch for more than 40 years, and only wears it occasionally but always, always has a watch on his wrist. 

The 6263 is the acrylic-bezel, screw-down pusher Daytona, twinned with the steel-bezel 6265. Late examples carry the red Daytona line above the six o'clock counter, which is where the nickname hails from.

Wolfgang and Jerry attend The Quail together every year. Neither one calls this watch their daily driver, but in the few moments of speaking with them, both were incredibly excited and very proud of both the cars, and wrists, on display.

“It was my grandfather’s and I found it in a drawer and I treasure it,” said Rebecca Contos of the ring watch. The design signatures that carry over to the ring from the watch include the screwed bezel, the rounded-corner square.

“Isn’t it just the best,” said Alice Murphy. “I just love wearing this watch, especially to big events.” 

42mm grade 5 titanium, case and bracelet, skeletonized, running the automatic RD720SQ with a micro-rotor, diamond-coated silicon escapement wheel and 72 hours of power reserve. Poinçon de Genève certified. Roughly a third lighter than the steel version.

Jason Arasheben, the owner of Jason of Beverly Hills, made himself a piece of jewelry marking a series of special times for him and his family, surrounded by the birthstones of those special to him. The result is that it “isn't actually a watch, but was made to be mistaken for one. As a jeweler I wanted to create something that marked moments for me so that I could always be reminded of what’s precious to me.”

“It feels like a watch of consequence but isn't very heavy,” said Chris from San Francisco, who declined to give his last name citing security concerns. “I can see the face clearly, which I love,” he said during a lunch of fried chicken and corn at the Quail.

The titanium sibling of the PAM 88 is distinguished by its anthracite dial. At 44mm with a dual time zone, date, small seconds at 9, and a water resistance to 300 meters, it checks all of the classic Panerai boxes.