Jony Ive — watch collection

About Jony Ive’s watch collection

Jony Ive is the British designer whose work as Chief Design Officer at Apple shaped the company's product aesthetic for over two decades. His influence extended across the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch, establishing design principles centered on simplicity and functional clarity. Following his departure from Apple in 2019, Ive founded LoveFrom, a design consultancy working with brands including Ferrari and other luxury manufacturers.

Ive's approach to personal accessories reflects the same restraint evident in his professional work. The Jony Ive watch collection centers on the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116500LN, a stainless steel chronograph with a white dial and black Cerachrom bezel. Spotted wearing this reference at public appearances, Ive has gravitated toward one of the most consistently produced steel racing chronographs in modern watchmaking. The 116500LN, introduced in 2016, represents Rolex's refinement of a design lineage stretching back to 1963.

The choice aligns with Ive's documented design philosophy. Rather than pursuing limited editions or precious metals, his selection of the 116500LN—a watch manufactured in relatively high volumes compared to other Rolex sports models—suggests a preference for utility and restraint over exclusivity. The Daytona's functional hour counter, minute register, and subsidiary seconds dial serve practical timekeeping purposes, characteristics that have defined the reference since its introduction. This preference for purpose-driven design in his timepiece collection reflects the same principles that guided his industrial design career.