Diego Della Valle — watch collection

About Diego Della Valle’s watch collection

Diego Della Valle is the president and CEO of the Tod's Group, the Italian luxury goods conglomerate best known for its driving shoes and leather goods. Born in 1953 in Sant'Elpidio a Mare in the Marche region of Italy, Della Valle transformed a family cobbling business into a global fashion and lifestyle empire. Beyond Tod's, his business interests are wide-ranging: he holds a significant stake in Saks Fifth Avenue's parent company, has invested in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, and was once a shareholder in Fiat. In Italy, he is considered one of the most influential industrialists of his generation, a figure who moves comfortably between the worlds of fashion, finance, and culture.

The Diego Della Valle watch collection reflects the same editorial restraint that defines his approach to luxury goods more broadly. He has been spotted wearing two notable references — one from Cartier, one from Rolex — that together say a great deal about his preferences. The Cartier piece is a Santos-Dumont in 18ct white gold, reference W2007051, with a white dial and leather strap. At 38 x 28mm, the case follows the elongated cushion geometry of the 1904 Alberto Santos-Dumont original, and the manual-wind calibre 81 inside keeps the profile slim enough for a dress shirt cuff. It is a watch chosen by someone who understands the object's history rather than its market position.

The Rolex in his rotation adds a different register to the collection — a brand associated with precision engineering and broad legibility rather than Cartier's architectural elegance. Together, the two pieces suggest a collector who is not chasing a single aesthetic but instead assembles watches the way a considered wardrobe is built: each piece earning its place on merit. For a man who has spent decades deciding what good design looks like, the choices are consistent and deliberate.