Throughout the brand’s history, Rolex watches have been worn by some of the world’s most recognizable celebrities, helping to add to their reputation as symbols of wealth, power and status. In addition, the manufacturer’s models have also been worn by some of the coolest fictional characters, with James Bond being the most obvious example.
Another classic example, however, is Tony Soprano, the clinically-depressed mob boss from the HBO TV show ‘The Sopranos‘. Portrayed by the late great James Gandolfini, the complex character became a symbol of masculinity and helped to pave the way for a new trend of TV villains who the watching audience somehow grew to love and admire.
In this blog post, we take a more detailed look at the watch Tony Soprano sported on his wrist, as well as a few of the other beautiful Rolex timepieces that appeared on the show during its highly acclaimed six season run.
Rolex Day-Date President 118238 36mm Champagne Index
Throughout the show’s entire duration, Tony Soprano wears a Rolex Day-Date on his wrist. The watch is first seen during the iconic opening credits sequence and is then seen in the vast majority of episodes, to the point where the timepiece has become inextricably linked to the character by many fans.
In terms of the features of the watch, it is a 36mm 18k yellow gold model, with a champagne dial. As the name suggests, it features both the day and the date in apertures on the dial, while the model offers water resistance for up to 300 meters. Tony’s model also had the famous ‘President’ bracelet, adding to the sense of power it exuded.
This particular model proved to be the perfect watch for the character. The Day-Date President is almost synonymous with status, having been born by the likes of John F. Kennedy. It also has a history in the gangster movie genre, with Ray Liotta wearing one in ‘Goodfellas’ and Sean Penn wearing one in ‘Carlito’s Way’.
For Tony Soprano, the idea of keeping up appearances and projecting power is important. At the same time, the yellow gold material gives the watch just a hint of femininity, which reflects the hidden sensitivity of the character.
Other Sopranos Rolex Watches
It is not known whether the model Tony Soprano wore on the show was actually owned by James Gandolfini, but it is known that Gandolfini himself was a big Rolex admirer. Indeed, the Emmy Award-winning actor was often seen wearing a stainless steel Rolex Submariner, although the watch was sadly stolen just prior to the actor’s death.
Aside from Tony Soprano, a number of other characters in the TV show wear Rolex timepieces. Perhaps most notably, Edie Falco, who played Tony’s wife Carmela Soprano, is frequently seen sporting a two-tone Lady Datejust. Her model has a silver colored dial and a Jubilee bracelet.
The character of Salvatore Bonpensiero, portrayed by Vincent Pastore, wears a very similar watch to Tony’s, although his Day-Date model has a red dial. Meanwhile, despite not wearing a watch in the show, actress Jamie Lynn Sigler, who played Tony’s daughter Meadow Soprano, is frequently seen wearing a stainless steel Rolex Daytona.
Away from the Rolex brand, ‘The Sopranos’ also showed appreciation for both Patek Philippe and Cartier. At one stage, Tony Soprano buys a white gold Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Reference 5037 as a gift for another character, while the character of Christopher Moltisanti wears a Cartier Pasha Grille in yellow gold.
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