Actor Rami Malek spotted wearing a Cartier

The 92nd Academy Awards on February 9, 2020 provided a predictable parade of Santos de Cartier and Rolex Datejust sightings on the wrists of Hollywood's finest. Rami Malek cut a different figure. Seated among the industry elite at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the Egyptian-American actor wore a yellow gold Cartier Pasha on a dark leather strap — a piece that communicates connoisseurship without announcing it.

The Pasha de Cartier is rooted in one of watchmaking's more compelling origin stories. Louis Cartier reputedly designed the first prototype in 1943 for El Glaoui, the Pasha of Marrakech, who required a water-resistant watch for pool use. The production version arrived in 1985, immediately distinctive for its screwed crown cap connected by a small chain, its bold round case with integrated crown guards, and its square-within-circle dial layout featuring a railway minute track and Arabic numerals. The yellow gold iteration that Malek wears — likely the 38mm or 42mm reference from the pre-2020 catalogue — houses a Cartier calibre with COSC-certified precision, cased in 18k yellow gold with a warm, slightly vintage-toned presence.

For collectors, the Pasha occupies a fascinating position. It predates the current integrated-bracelet sport-watch boom by decades, yet its architecture anticipates that aesthetic. Pre-2020 references, particularly in yellow gold, have gained ground on the secondary market as younger collectors discover the model ahead of Cartier's 2020 relaunch of the Pasha line with updated references and a new manufacture movement.

Malek's personal style tends toward the considered rather than the conspicuous. Having won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2019 for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, his 2020 Oscars appearance placed him in the room as a reigning winner — and his watch choice reflected a man comfortable enough with his position not to reach for the obvious Patek or Rolex. The Pasha, with its North African royal lineage and Paris DNA, suited the moment precisely.

On the current grey market, yellow gold Pasha references from this era trade in a range that reflects both the brand's resurgent collectibility and the metal premium. Retail for comparable new references in the relaunched Pasha line sits near $22,000 USD, with pre-owned yellow gold examples in strong condition commanding premiums that track Cartier's broader market momentum.