In a sea of shabbily dressed, self-deprecating funnymen, John Mulaney stands out as a very well-dressed self-deprecating funnyman.
Sharp clothing has always been a feature of the comedian’s standup. A handsome, late-20s Mulaney would stalk back and forth across the stage in a well-tailored suit and tie, making obscure references to Steely Dan’s Gaucho and hoping someone caught on. I went to music school! I see you, John! His sartorial inclinations have only expanded as the showbiz successes have piled on—I’m pretty sure I heard him casually mention “visiting the Tom Ford store” in a speech yesterday—and, much to our delight, the horological bug appears to have bitten, too.
Exhibit A: Mulaney wrist-posing in full-on, double-breasted Loro Piana showing off a Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 SBGH263. The watch is part of GS’ Elegance Collection and is befitting that description. This classically inspired time-and-date model on leather is a vibe, and gels perfectly with the comedian’s dapper persona. Like many Grand Seiko models, Mulaney’s presents as a perfectly considered, distinctly Japanese take on midcentury design. The watch’s defining features are its 39.5-mm polished steel case with the strong lugs, box-shaped sapphire crystal, and leather crocodile strap. Of course, there’s also that beautiful cream-colored dial with applied, gold-toned Arabic indices, matching dauphine hands, and a framed date wheel at 3 o’clock.
While Grand Seiko typically takes inspiration for its dials straight from nature—snowflakes, frozen lakes, tree bark—Mulaney’s Hi-Beat goes in a different direction. The sumptuous creamy white of this dial takes its looks from “Shironeri,” or “the glossy white silk of the outfit worn by the bride in a Japanese wedding,” according to GS.
Of course, this isn’t Mulaney’s first horological rodeo: Hosting SNL for the 3,072nd time last month—fine, it was the sixth time—he wore a Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso, a Chopard L.U.C, a smartwatch, and a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony all in one night. There’s also Mulaney’s infamous standup bit about buying a Rolex only to immediately pawn it at a shop he remembers as “Sell Your Watch Right Now NYC.” At least he learned in that moment never to “mush metals.”