Gary Mehigan — watch collection

About Gary Mehigan’s watch collection

Gary Mehigan is one of Australia's most respected culinary figures, best known to television audiences as a judge on MasterChef Australia, a role he held from the show's debut in 2009 through to Season 11 in 2019. Born in England and trained in classical French technique, Mehigan built his reputation through decades of serious kitchen work before becoming a household name. Alongside his television career, he co-owned and ran Fenix, the acclaimed Melbourne restaurant that earned him a strong following among food critics and diners who valued discipline and craft over spectacle. He has also worked as a food writer, author, and brand ambassador, maintaining a public profile that extends well beyond reality television.

The Gary Mehigan watch collection, as documented through public sightings, points toward a man who gravitates to technically serious horology rather than conventional luxury signalling. During Season 11 of MasterChef Australia, Mehigan was photographed wearing the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 in 18k rose gold — reference 18.9002.9004/78.R582. The choice is a meaningful one. Powered by the calibre El Primero 9004, a twin-engine movement beating at 360,000 vibrations per hour, the Defy El Primero 21 is capable of measuring time to 1/100th of a second, making it the most accurate series-production mechanical chronograph movement currently available. For a chef whose entire professional identity is built around precision — temperatures, timing, technique — the alignment between the wearer and the watch is straightforward and credible.

With only one confirmed sighting in our database so far, it would be premature to draw broad conclusions about Mehigan's wider tastes. But the Zenith Defy El Primero 21 in rose gold is not a casual or accidental choice. It sits at the high end of Zenith's contemporary catalogue, combining serious movement engineering with a bold, skeletonised aesthetic. It suggests someone who did their research and bought on merit.