Michael Chow — watch collection

About Michael Chow’s watch collection

Michael Chow is a restaurateur and entrepreneur best known for founding Mr. Chow, the acclaimed establishment that opened on East 57th Street in New York in 1979. The restaurant quickly became a cultural landmark, attracting notable figures from the art, music, and entertainment worlds including Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Bowie, and Andy Warhol. Chow's business ventures established him as a prominent figure in New York's social and culinary scene during the late 20th century.

The Michael Chow watch collection centres on Cartier, the luxury Swiss watchmaker. In September 1979, Chow was photographed wearing a Cartier Santos Ref. 2961, a two-tone stainless steel and gold model with a Roman numeral dial. The image, taken in his apartment above Mr. Chow restaurant, captures the watch during a significant period in wristwatch design history. The mixed-metal construction of the Santos Ref. 2961 is visible even in the period black-and-white photography, demonstrating the watch's distinctive design.

Chow's choice of the Cartier Santos reflects a preference for classic luxury timepieces with recognisable design credentials. The Santos model, originally designed for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904, became a benchmark in sports watch design. Chow's early adoption of the reference 2961 variant positions him within a demographic of collectors and entrepreneurs who valued established horological heritage during the 1970s and 1980s.