The best watches since NBA restart

Restarting the NBA is slowly taking hold. Over the course of this week, all 22 of the contending teams headed for Orlando and slipped into The Bubble. This means that, together with the snapshots of the prepared meals and the play equipment, the fit photos are back, with 100% more masks and watch combinations at the grail level. As NBA players get off the bus and at their respective Disney hotels this week, GQ has seen Richard Mille in a super limited edition, rigged the Royal Oak and more than an iconic Rolex. The brick foyers of the Disney hotels are a sort of different catwalk for the players, but it’s still nice to come back: the big NBA attacks are the burst of thunder before the flash of real games.

Rolex Datejust II by Damian Lillard

In 2009, Rolex modified one of its most classic models and presented Datejust II. The sequel has kept pace with modern trends towards considerably larger dimensions: 41 millimeters compared to the original 36 of the Datejust. The Rolex crown in 12 position and the golden Roman numerals on the Lillard model really have room to stretch. But in 2016, the Datejust II took the road of New Coke and Rolex by replacing the model with the Datejust 41 (a reference to the enlarged size).

Rolex GMT-Master II by Seth Curry “Batman”

With older brother Steph out of contention, young Curry is tasked with taking the mantle of never losing. It started well here with the latest version of the Rolex GMT-Master II in the unmistakable blue and black “Batman” colorway. Released in 2019 on a Jubilee bracelet – rather than the traditional Oyster bracelet – the watch claims that an icon can be improved. For young Curry, this is probably an attractive idea.