Chef Joe Bastianich spotted wearing a Cartier

Joe Bastianich, the restaurateur, winemaker, and longtime MasterChef judge, was recently spotted on the wrist with a stainless steel Cartier Roadster, reference W62002V3 — a watch that rewards precisely the kind of quiet confidence Bastianich projects in public. It is not a watch that shouts, but it is unmistakably Cartier, and unmistakably of a particular moment in the brand's history.

Cartier introduced the Roadster collection in 2001 as a deliberate nod to the golden age of motorsport, specifically the grand prix circuits and open-cockpit racing of the 1950s. The W62002V3 is the core automatic steel variant, powered by Cartier's in-house Calibre 302 — a self-winding movement based on the ETA 2892-A2 platform, offering a 42-hour power reserve and beating at 28,800 vph. The case itself is a distinctive rounded rectangular tonneau shape measuring approximately 38mm, with an integrated bracelet design and a crown protected by a characteristic Cartier chequerboard motif — a direct visual reference to the racing flag. The dial, typically silver or anthracite, features bold Roman numerals and the signature blued steel sword hands the Maison has used for over a century.

From a collector's standpoint, the Roadster occupies an interesting niche. Cartier discontinued the entire line by the early 2010s, and while it never achieved the cult status of the Santos or the Tank, the Roadster has been steadily gaining renewed appreciation among collectors who favor discontinued references with genuine design intent. The W62002V3 specifically — the stainless steel automatic — is considered the most accessible and wearable entry point into the range.

Bastianich is known for his work alongside Gordon Ramsay and as a serious vintner in Friuli, but he is also a seasoned traveler and cultural omnivore. His choice of a discontinued Cartier sports reference over current market darlings is consistent with someone who buys what genuinely appeals rather than chasing perceived investment value.

On the secondary market, the Cartier Roadster W62002V3 in steel trades in a relatively accessible range, making it one of the more attainable discontinued Cartier sport references available today — and one that the market may not have fully repriced yet.