Something pretty shocking happened at the Oscars, and it wasn’t a streaming film winning Best Picture. That’s nothing compared to what happened during the presentation of the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face after the latter made a joke at the expense of the former’s wife.
Now, I’m not here to theorize on whether or not the slap was staged, to opine my thoughts on the non-consequence of the behavior, or to throw in my two cents about the state of the American Celebrity. That’s not what this site is about, and frankly, I don’t care. What I was immediately curious about, though, was whether or not Will Smith had a watch on his slapping hand, and if so, what watch that was.
With a bit of sleuthing, I was disappointed to find that he was wearing a watch on his left wrist. This didn’t help me. What I had hoped to find was that he was wearing some shock resistant masterpiece on his right (slapping) wrist, something that would bear the force of the slap without concern. (For those interested: as best as I can tell, Smith was wearing a Cartier Drive de Cartier, almost definitely the model below).
I couldn’t help but wonder, though, what watch would befit the star of classic films like Hitch, After Earth, and Aladdin, for such a momentous occasion? First, and mostly out of curiosity, I had to determine how much force the slap might have had. According to high school physics and Google, force =mass x acceleration—and that’s as far as I got. Suffice it to say that a hard slap to the face can briefly impose hundreds of G to the area, and in theory an equivalent amount to the hand and a watch attached to it (though there will be some dispersion of force). So, let’s explore some watches that could definitely meet the challenge.
IWC Big Pilot Shock Absorber XPL
Here’s my pick for the flying wrist of Mr. Smith. The IWC Big Pilot Shock Absorber XPL was the first model unveiled by the Schaffhausen brand’s “Experimental Engineering Team” in 2021. Why is this my pick? The 12mm thickness and incredibly light case made from Ceratanium (a proprietary titanium and ceramic) means the watch will not only fit under the cuff of Smith’s Oscars tuxedo, but it won’t slow his arm down at all. On impact, there would be no concern about loss of isochronism, as the Shock Absorber XPL has been tested to withstand an astonishing 30,000 G—and the momentum will help keep the automatic movement wound!
Richard Mille RM 27-03 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal
One of the more Richard Mille of all Richard Milles, the 27-03 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal has everything you’d expect from the brand: innovative materials in dazzling colors, a skeletonized movement, and unnecessary but cool complications. To wit, the RM 27-3’s namesake tourbillon (and the entirety of the movement) can withstand an impressive 10,000 G of shock. While that should be sufficient to keep the watch safe during the devastation of Chris Rock’s mandible, the loudness of the design and thickness relative to the IWC make it less ideal for the Oscars. That’s to say nothing of the $725,000 price tag, a bit steep given Smith’s rather modest celebrity watch collection.
Casio G-Shock x Dragon Ball Z Limited Edition
No list of shock resistant watches would be complete without a G-Shock, so you’re probably not surprised to see this here. What may be less obvious is why I chose this specific G-Shock. In 2018, Will Smith’s insufferable offspring Jaden Smith released the song “Goku,” in which he suggests that the inconvenience of his credit card being declined makes him go Super Saiyan like Goku, the lead character from the anime series Dragon Ball Z. This G-Shock works on two levels, then: not only is it fit for the job (if not the occasion), but there’s a family connection because Will Smith’s son apparently also has issues with overreacting.
The reality is that Will Smith couldn’t go wrong with any of these watches. They all provide substantial shock resistance and have lots of personality. Conversely, there is no appropriate watch for slapping someone in the face during a worldwide telecast of a major awards ceremony because slapping someone—in any setting, audience or not—is inappropriate to begin with.