Inside the $1 Million Watch Lineup at the 2026 VMAs

The WHCH0006 is the 2016 pink gold Crash Skeleton, and Cartier made just 67 of them as a nod to 1967, the year the Crash debuted in London. The melted case is 18k pink gold, and the skeletonized movement is shaped so the bridges themselves form the Roman numerals, meaning there is no conventional dial at all. Vintage London and Paris Crash models have become some of the most chased watches at auction, and the skeleton editions have been pulled up right alongside them. Gunna, who joined Shaboozey on stage for the first broadcast performance of "High Noon," wore it with a camel double-breasted suit that let the case do all the talking. It was the most valuable watch we spotted all night, by a wide margin.

The WSSA0018 is the large steel Santos de Cartier, with a silvered opaline dial, Roman numerals, and blued sword hands. It runs on Cartier's in-house calibre 1847 MC and uses the QuickSwitch system for tool-free bracelet and strap changes, plus SmartLink so you can size the bracelet yourself. The design traces back to 1904, when Louis Cartier built a wristwatch for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, which makes it one of the first purpose-built men's wristwatches ever made. Miles Caton, the breakout singer and actor from Sinners, paired it with a dove-print leather jacket and made the most attainable watch on this list look like the best dressed. At roughly $9,200 retail, it is the smartest way into the Cartier conversation.

The 67630BC is one of the three 23mm Royal Oak Mini models Audemars Piguet brought back in 2024, inspired by the Mini Oak of 1997. The case and bracelet are 18k white gold with the hammered Frosted Gold finish AP developed with Florentine jeweler Carolina Bucci, so it sparkles like a diamond piece without a single stone. Inside is the quartz calibre 2730, under a tone-on-tone Petite Tapisserie dial. Retail sits at $41,100, but secondary prices run well past double that, which is why the market value lands around $100,000. Raye, who made her VMA performance debut and joined the George Michael tribute, has worked with Audemars Piguet before, and she wore it with a beaded, pearl-draped gown.

The 15402OR is the factory diamond-set version of the 41mm Royal Oak in 18k pink gold, with a diamond bezel, a fully paved dial, and set case flanks. It rides on a brown alligator strap instead of the integrated bracelet, which softens the look just enough to wear with tailoring. Because the setting is done by Audemars Piguet rather than aftermarket, these hold their value far better than an iced-out steel Royal Oak. French Montana came in nominated for Best Hip Hop alongside Max B for "Ever Since U Left Me," and the pink gold lined up perfectly with his stacked gold chains and black leather.

The 15510ST replaced the long-running 15500ST in 2022 and is now the core steel Royal Oak, measuring 41mm with the black Grande Tapisserie dial. It runs the automatic calibre 4302 with a 70-hour power reserve, and the case keeps the alternating brushed and polished surfaces that Royal Oak collectors obsess over. This is the watch that defines the modern luxury sports watch category, and demand still outruns supply at the boutique. The Summer House star wore it with a black work jacket, white shirt, and skinny tie, proof that the steel Royal Oak is now as much a style staple as a collector's trophy.

The 228235 is the 40mm Day-Date in 18k Everose gold on the President bracelet, and the olive green dial with Roman numerals is one of the most requested configurations Rolex makes. On Everose, the green takes on a warmth that yellow gold simply cannot match. It runs the calibre 3255 with a 70-hour power reserve, with the day of the week spelled out in full at 12 o'clock. Harry Jowsey, of Too Hot to Handle and Dancing with the Stars, wore it with a chocolate brown double-breasted suit, a clean tonal pairing. It was the most valuable Rolex on the carpet.

This is not a Rolex catalog piece, and that is the point. Chrome Hearts, the Los Angeles silver house founded in 1988, fits Rolex watch heads with custom sterling bracelets built from its gothic cross links, and these pieces trade on their own market. Shaboozey's appears to be a Datejust with a black dial and white gold fluted bezel, matched to a cross belt buckle and head-to-toe black leather. He made his VMA performance debut with "Cowgirl" before joining Gunna on "High Noon," and the watch fits the country-meets-hip-hop lane he has owned since "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." Values vary piece to piece, but comparable Chrome Hearts Datejusts sit around $30,000.

The 126710BLRO is the modern Pepsi, with a red and blue Cerachrom bezel, a 40mm Oystersteel case, and the calibre 3285. This example sits on the three-link Oyster bracelet rather than the Jubilee, which gives it a sportier, more tool-watch feel. The Pepsi colorway traces back to the original GMT-Master of 1954, built for Pan Am pilots tracking two time zones. David Corenswet, one of the night's presenters, wore it with a light grey double-breasted suit and a white tank, and yes, a red and blue watch on Superman's wrist is exactly the kind of detail collectors love. It remains one of the hardest steel Rolex references to get at retail.

The 126710GRNR arrived in 2024 with a grey and black Cerachrom bezel, green GMT accents on the dial, and a 40mm Oystersteel case, and some collectors have nicknamed it the "Bruce Wayne." Paolo's is on the five-link Jubilee bracelet, which dresses it up without losing the tool watch attitude. Grey and black is the most understated GMT colorway Rolex offers, and that restraint worked well against his tie-dye denim set. The Power Book II: Ghost star gave the carpet its second GMT-Master II of the night, and put next to Corenswet's Pepsi, you had Superman and Bruce Wayne standing on the same blue carpet.

The U19320161C1U1 is the Super Chronomat 44 Four-Year Calendar in stainless steel and 18k red gold, with a blue dial, blue ceramic bezel inserts, and Breitling's Rouleaux bracelet. Inside is the COSC-certified Breitling Calibre 19, a chronograph with day, date, month, and moon phase that only needs a correction once every leap year, or every 1,461 days. That is a serious amount of watch for the money, retailing around $20,250 and trading closer to $13,000 on the secondary market. Teddy Swims, who joined Raye and Sombr for the George Michael tribute, wore it with an all-black look and flashed it straight at the cameras. For buyers who want real complications without six-figure pricing, this is the one to study.