Watch Paparazzi

Actor Nicolas Cage spotted wearing Montblanc

At the 2013 Deauville American Film Festival, Nicolas Cage arrived wearing a piece that quietly announced serious horological taste: the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph 'Open Home Time' in 18k red gold, reference 107067. The photograph, taken just days after the actor turned 57, captures a man who clearly gravitates toward watches with a narrative rather than mere status symbols.

The ref. 107067 is built around Montblanc's Calibre MB R200, an in-house movement developed in collaboration with the Le Locle manufacture following Montblanc's acquisition of Minerva in 2006. The movement runs at 18,000 vph and features a column-wheel chronograph mechanism alongside a home-time complication — both functions displayed through two signature open disc indicators on the dial rather than conventional subdials. The 43mm red gold case gives the watch a commanding wrist presence without tipping into ostentation, while the skeletonized dial architecture showcases the technical complexity beneath.

The Nicolas Rieussec line holds particular resonance in collector circles because it revived a genuinely forgotten name in watchmaking history. Nicolas Rieussec demonstrated his ink-depositing chronograph to the French public in 1821, and Montblanc's decision to resurrect that legacy — rather than invent a fictional heritage — earned the collection credibility it might not otherwise have commanded. The 'Open Home Time' variant, with its dual-zone functionality, was aimed squarely at well-traveled professionals who wanted something more sophisticated than a standard GMT.

Nicolas Cage's watch choices have long reflected his well-documented collector instincts. The Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner — recognized above all for his transformative performance in 'Leaving Las Vegas' — has been spotted across a range of serious timepieces over the years. The Montblanc in red gold fits a personality drawn to objects with depth and provenance.

At launch, the ref. 107067 carried a retail price of $34,100 USD, positioning it firmly in the upper tier of Montblanc's offer and in direct competition with entry-level complicated pieces from mainstream Swiss luxury houses. On the grey market today, examples trade at a modest discount to retail, reflecting the broader softness in non-sports complications from non-traditional watchmaking names — though the red gold specification and movement quality keep values relatively stable among informed buyers.