Watch Paparazzi

Chef Gordon Ramsay spotted wearing JS

Gordon Ramsay has worn everything from Rolex Daytonas to vintage Patek Philippe pieces, so when the Michelin-starred chef made a detour into the JS Watch Co. flagship in Reykjavik during an Iceland visit, the watch community took notice. The result: a stainless steel Sif NART 1948 in blue, strapped to his wrist on a rich tanned calf leather strap — a purchase made in-store, captured with the boutique team, and posted to his Instagram.

JS Watch Co. is Iceland's only indigenous watch brand, founded in Reykjavik and deeply committed to Scandinavian design philosophy. The Sif NART 1948 sits at the core of their catalogue. The case is brushed stainless steel with a clean, tool-watch silhouette — no date complication crowding the dial, just a bold sunburst blue face with applied Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9 and a triangle indices at 12. The typography is legible and uncluttered, referencing mid-century field and sports watches. A discreet date window sits at 3 o'clock. The movement is a reliable Swiss-sourced automatic. The tanned calf strap adds warmth and wearability to what is otherwise a restrained, architectural piece.

From a collector standpoint, the Sif NART 1948 occupies an interesting niche: it is neither a micro-brand curiosity nor a mainstream Swiss manufacture piece. JS Watch Co. maintains genuine retail infrastructure, in-house design identity, and a price point — around £2,050 list — that positions it as an accessible but considered purchase. The brand has cultivated a loyal following among travellers who discover it through Reykjavik tourism, giving it an aspirational geographic cachet that few regional brands can claim.

Ramsay's choice is telling. He didn't need to buy a watch in Iceland — he could have worn any of dozens of six-figure pieces from his collection. Instead he supported a small national brand on its home turf, which aligns with the chef's well-documented appreciation for local craft and provenance, principles he applies as readily to food as to horology.

At a UK list of £2,050 (approximately $2,600 USD), the Sif NART 1948 represents solid value for a domestically designed Scandinavian automatic. Grey market activity on JS pieces is minimal given their niche profile, meaning retail price is effectively the market price — a refreshing contrast to the premiums plaguing more famous references right now.