Simu Liu's Watch Collection: From Shang-Chi Red Carpets to Rare Timepieces
Simu Liu made history as the first Asian superhero to lead a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, taking the titular role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and has since built a luxury watch collection that reflects his rapid rise from Canadian television actor to global Hollywood star. His taste in watches is specific, considered and increasingly ambitious, making his collection one of the more interesting to follow in the current generation of Hollywood actors.
Getty Images, Mike Marsland, IWC
The IWC Portugieser: Simu Liu's Red Carpet Watch of Choice
Simu Liu is an ambassador for IWC Schaffhausen, and he wore his 18-carat gold IWC Portugieser Chronograph with an alligator leather strap to every red carpet event during the press tour for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. For a first-time Marvel lead navigating a global press tour, the choice to anchor his watch wardrobe around a single significant piece rather than cycling through different references showed a level of considered taste that resonated strongly with the watch community.
Liu has said the watch holds serious sentimental value for him as a result of that experience, telling Haute Time: "That was the watch I wore on pretty much every red carpet that I did, and it was such a memorable moment for me, so every time I look at that watch, I feel like I'm taken back to that moment in my life."
The IWC Portugieser Chronograph itself is one of the most enduringly elegant chronographs in Swiss watchmaking:
Available in 18-carat gold case options including yellow, rose and white gold
Powered by IWC's in-house calibre with column wheel chronograph mechanism
Distinctive railway track minute scale on the outer dial ring, referencing the original Portugieser design from 1939
Alligator leather strap as standard on precious metal configurations
Retail pricing for the 18-carat gold variants starts at approximately AUD $25,000 to $40,000 through authorised IWC retailers in Australia
For Australian collectors who want the watch that accompanied one of Marvel's most culturally significant releases, the Portugieser Chronograph in gold is available through IWC boutiques in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar and Rolex Yacht-Master: Liu's Statement Pieces
Beyond his IWC ambassador role, Simu Liu's personal collection extends into significantly more theatrical territory. The two pieces that have attracted the most attention from the watch community represent opposite ends of the luxury spectrum, from mechanical spectacle to classic Swiss prestige.
Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar Baguette
Simu Liu wore a 48mm white gold Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar Planet flying tourbillon watch to the 2021 Met Gala. The timepiece features 382 baguette diamonds and displays the planets of the solar system as gemstone spheres, placed on the rotating platform of the Astronomia Solar calibre, with a price tag of USD $775,000.
The Astronomia Solar is one of the most complex and visually extraordinary watches ever produced, combining a triple-axis tourbillon, a rotating representation of the solar system and a 288-facet Jacob-Cut diamond that rotates on its own axis, all visible through a sapphire crystal that exposes the full three-dimensional movement architecture. Liu wore the Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar Baguette in white gold to the 2021 Met Gala, where its visual drama was perfectly suited to fashion's most theatrical annual event.
For a deeper look at the full story behind Liu's transformation from a USD $100 stock photo model to wearing a USD $775,000 watch on the Met Gala red carpet, read our dedicated piece on the Simu Liu Astronomia Solar Baguette.
For Australian collectors interested in Jacob and Co. at more accessible price points, the brand's standard Astronomia range starts significantly below the baguette diamond configuration, with entry-level references available through authorised international dealers.
Rolex Yacht-Master in Yellow Gold
Liu appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live wearing a gold Rolex Yacht-Master, one of the more commercially recognisable additions to his collection alongside the IWC and Jacob and Co. pieces. The Yacht-Master in yellow gold represents a more conventionally accessible luxury reference compared to the Astronomia Solar, but carries strong secondary market credentials that the Jacob and Co. pieces cannot match in terms of liquidity.
The Rolex Yacht-Master in 18-carat yellow gold features the brand's bidirectional rotatable bezel in matching yellow gold, Oysterflex bracelet and Calibre 3235 movement with the Rolex Superlative Chronometer certification. For Australian buyers, the yellow gold Yacht-Master retails at approximately AUD $45,000 to $55,000 through authorised Rolex dealers in Sydney and Melbourne, with grey market and pre-owned examples available on Chrono24 at varying premiums depending on condition and documentation.
What Simu Liu's Watch Choices Tell Us About Luxury Collecting
Simu Liu's collection is a useful case study for any collector thinking about how to build a watch wardrobe with a clear identity. Three principles are evident across his known pieces that apply equally to collectors working with significantly smaller budgets.
The first is the value of wearing one watch consistently through a significant life moment. Liu's decision to wear the IWC Portugieser Chronograph to every Shang-Chi red carpet created a permanent association between that watch and that chapter of his career, giving the piece a personal provenance that no amount of money can manufacture. For collectors, this is a useful reminder that how you wear a watch matters as much as which watch you wear.
The second is the distinction between a wardrobe watch and a statement piece:
The IWC Portugieser is a wardrobe watch, versatile enough for press junkets, formal events and everyday wear
The Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar is a statement piece, worn for a specific occasion where its visual theatre is appropriate and expected
The Rolex Yacht-Master sits between the two, offering recognisable prestige in a wearable everyday format
The third principle is brand alignment. Liu's ambassador relationship with IWC is a meaningful public commitment to a watchmaker whose values, craft heritage and aesthetic sensibility align with his own public persona. For Australian collectors choosing their first serious watch brand, this kind of considered alignment produces more satisfying long-term ownership than buying whatever reference is most visible at a given moment.
For Australian buyers interested in any of the references in Liu's collection, IWC boutiques in Sydney and Melbourne carry the current Portugieser range. Authorised Rolex dealers including Watches of Switzerland carry the Yacht-Master subject to availability and waitlist requirements. Jacob and Co. references are available through selected international dealers with shipping to Australia.
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Simu Liu Watch Collection FAQs
Simu Liu wore his IWC Portugieser Chronograph in 18-carat gold with an alligator leather strap to the red carpet events and press tour for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He has described the watch as one of his most sentimental possessions as a result, telling Haute Time that looking at it takes him back to that chapter of his career.
The IWC Portugieser Chronograph in 18-carat gold retails at approximately AUD $25,000 to $40,000 through authorised IWC retailers in Australia, including boutiques in Sydney and Melbourne.
The most expensive known piece in Simu Liu's collection is the Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar Baguette in white gold, which he wore to the 2021 Met Gala. The watch features 382 baguette-cut diamonds and a triple-axis tourbillon movement displaying the solar system as rotating gemstone spheres, with a price tag of USD $775,000 at the time of his wearing it.
The Astronomia Solar Baguette is one of the most technically and visually complex watches ever produced, combining grand complication watchmaking with haute joaillerie at a level that places it in its own category within the luxury watch market.
Yes. Simu Liu is an official brand ambassador for IWC Schaffhausen, a role that reflects a genuine personal connection to the brand rather than a purely commercial arrangement. He has spoken publicly about his affection for the IWC Portugieser Chronograph specifically, describing it as a watch with deep sentimental significance tied to the Shang-Chi press tour.
His ambassador role with IWC has made him one of the more credible celebrity watch voices in the current Hollywood generation, given his public willingness to discuss the personal meaning of specific pieces rather than simply wearing whatever the brand provides.
The IWC Portugieser Chronograph in 18-carat gold, the configuration worn by Simu Liu during the Shang-Chi press tour, retails at approximately AUD $25,000 to $40,000 through authorised IWC retailers in Australia depending on the specific gold configuration. Stainless steel variants of the Portugieser Chronograph are available at a lower price point through the same authorised channels.
Pre-owned examples of the Portugieser Chronograph in gold are available on Chrono24 at pricing below new retail depending on condition and documentation. IWC boutiques in Sydney and Melbourne carry the current range with full manufacturer warranty coverage.
Simu Liu wore the Jacob and Co. Astronomia Solar Baguette in white gold to the 2021 Met Gala. The 48mm white gold case features 382 baguette-cut diamonds and houses the Astronomia Solar calibre, which displays the planets of the solar system as gemstone spheres on a rotating platform alongside a triple-axis tourbillon and a 288-facet Jacob-Cut diamond that rotates independently.
The watch was priced at USD $775,000 at the time Liu wore it, placing it among the most expensive celebrity watch appearances at a fashion event. Jacob and Co. references are available through selected international dealers with shipping to Australia.