Published on November 8, 2026
Courtesy of William Bradley
Lots of collectors are understandably precious about when and where they’ll strap on their high-end watches. But some of the world’s best chefs actually cook in their coveted timekeepers—braving bubbling oil, boiling water, and razor-sharp knives and even shucking oysters and breaking down fish.
For these talented cooks, the parallels between fine dining and luxury watchmaking are clear: “There is a design, there is something that you can see,” says Alain Verzeroli, culinary director of the Bastion Collection, which runs Michelin-starred spots from Miami to Geneva. “But there are a lot of things that you cannot see.” Just as a chef spends hours preparing and plating a dish, a watchmaker devotes even more energy to crafting a timepiece. Here’s how six chefs use their watches to stay ahead of the dinner rush.
E. J. Lagasse, Rolex GMT-Master II “Sprite”
Image Credit: Courtesy of E. J. Lagasse/Emeril’s in New Orleans
“Timing is everything in our restaurant and in our business,” explains Lagasse, chef and co-owner of Emeril’s in New Orleans. Under his leadership, the establishment won two Michelin stars last year. (And yes, he’s Emeril’s son.) “Utilizing beautiful watches for it, I think, is a good way about it.” Lagasse mainly relies on his left-handed, or “Destro,” Rolex GMT-Master II, especially when he’s running the pass and marking the time when a course has been sent out to guests. It doesn’t hurt that half the watch’s bezel is green, the restaurant’s signature color.
Above: Emeril and E. J. Lagasse; oyster stew with foie gras.
Tim Flores, Cartier Tank Louis
Image Credit: Courtesy of Tim Flores
When Chicago’s Kasama became the world’s first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, Flores celebrated by buying himself a Rolex “Batman.” As someone who travels quite a bit, he appreciates that he can use the watch to track three time zones, which helps keep him tethered to base camp even if he’s halfway around the globe. He’s slowly building up his collection, which now includes a yellow-gold Cartier Tank Louis, but says, “I never really want to have too many where I can’t actually wear those watches.
Alain Verzeroli, Cartier Santos 100
Image Credit: Courtesy of Alain Verzeroli; Duck: Brian Kennedy
Verzeroli, who oversees outposts of Le Jardinier and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon as culinary director of the Bastion Collection, considers his Cartier Santos 100 his work watch, thanks to its legibility and versatility. But out of the eight timepieces he owns, he rotates among three or four when cooking. “I feel basically naked without a watch in a kitchen,” he says with a chuckle. You might also spot him in his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or F. P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain, especially if he knows he’ll be on camera that day.
Above: Le Jardinier’s duck with wild rice; Verzeroli at work.
Buddha Lo, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph
Image Credit: Courtesy of Buddha Lo
Lo and his brother inherited a Rolex Datejust and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak when their watch-obsessed father passed away. Lo wore both of them as a contestant on Top Chef, in an homage to his dad. “I’m always going to be wearing a watch, because I think if my dad had the choice, he would have worn [his] a lot more,” explains the chef, who helms Robb Report Best of the Best winner Huso in N.Y.C. “I’m going to wear it for him.” In the kitchen, Lo rotates the Datejust, a Cartier Tank Must, and a recently acquired Cartier Santos Ronde from the 1990s.
William Bradley, Hublot Big Bang Original Unico King Gold
Image Credit: Courtesy of William Bradley
When William Bradley was in his early 20s, a colleague with a Cartier watch he admired gave him some advice about collecting: “You should have seven timepieces, and they all should have a meaning in your life of a significant time.” He has since surpassed that number, including a Hublot Big Bang Original in gold ceramic that he bought when his restaurant, Addison, received its third Michelin star in 2022. That kicked off his relationship with the brand, and his assemblage also includes a Spirit of Big Bang in black ceramic.
Above: Bradley finishes Addison’s berry-beet tartelette.
Thomas Keller, Rolex GMT-Master II “Batgirl”
Image Credit: Keller: Deborah Jones; Scallop: David Escalante
Back in his mid-20s, Keller bought his first Rolex, a Submariner, off a close friend—then had to sell it back when he lost his job. But everything seems to have turned out OK for the chef behind the French Laundry and Per Se: He now frequently wears his Rolexes in the kitchen and was sporting an Air King when he spoke to Robb Report. Admittedly an owner of “too many” timepieces—“I think any collector has more than they need,” he says—he also collects A.P., Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. In fact, his restaurants have the only Vacheron wall clocks on the planet.
Above: Per Se’s seared-scallop dish; Keller wearing one of his Rolexes.
Dining and Cooking