Watches of Cine Gear Expo 2026
Everyone goes to Cine Gear to check out the latest cameras, lenses, cranes, and whatever new piece of gear is about to become the industry's next obsession. Or they're there to network with people they probably already saw at one of the hundred pre parties leading up to the show. Me? Sure, I was there for work, but I spent a good portion of the weekend looking at something else entirely: watches.
Filmmakers have a tendency to obsess over the details, whether it's lens coatings, sensor sizes, or finding the perfect accessory for a camera rig, so it only makes sense that some of that enthusiasm finds its way onto their wrists. Here are a few of the watches that caught my eye at Cine Gear Expo 2026. Let’s roll.
First stop on the Cine Gear Express was my old alma mater, SIGMA, where they had on display many of their newest releases including the incredibly fast Aizu primes alongside their polarizing BF camera. The hybrid cine zooms, 28-45mm and 28-105mm also made an appearance as interactive pieces expo attendees could interact with on a gimbal. Not a bad draw. I’m excited that SIGMA has so much more to showcase during cinema-focused events now. They are plenty strong in the photo market, but the lack of dedicated cine products was a hinderance to their growth on this side of the fence. Until now.
It’s hard to argue that they aren’t doing well for themselves when you spot a beautiful Rolex Yacht-Master (ref. 226659) on the wrist of their president. The perfect watch to wear on a sunny Southern California day. This one in encased in white gold with an Oysterflex bracelet and ceramic bezel keeps things subtle, but elegant. It’s a perfect mirror of what SIGMA strives to be: exceptionally crafted and refined beauty.
As we moseyed over to our next booth, we were stopped by our friend Jonathan, who was carrying the exact opposite of what we had just stepped away from: a playfully bright Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch Mission on Earth - Lava. Wherever you fall on the love it or hate it spectrum, it doesn't matter. These MoonSwatches are wildly successful. I was on the fan side from the very beginning, owning several of them myself. I'll always get excited about seeing one, and you should too.
I haven't seen many of the Mission on Earth models, though. As an AFI fellow and budding chemist, I'm sure the red ties in somehow, although perhaps it's just a reflection of his outgoing personality. Quick shoutout to the Leica M3 SS he was carrying around. It's brave using a fully mechanical film camera around here, but I guess the chances were pretty high that someone would have had a Sekonic light meter on them if he really needed one.
While chatting with Jonathan, I noticed that his brother Jun was hiding something under the denim jacket he had on. Upon closer inspection, it happened to be a Nodus Sector II Dive GMT. For those of you who don’t know Nodus is startup brand based in Los Angeles, CA and what I find very interesting about them is their Design Lab where they invite collaboration for new watch projects.
Anyway, the Sector II GMT case houses an NH34 GMT movement from Seiko. Solid, versatile, and used by many brands in their watches. Most importantly, it will be easily serviceable. Nodus also didn’t skimp out on other features: surgical-grade stainless steel, box sapphire crystal, and a super satisfying 120-click bezel. All in all, a respectable out of left-field watch.
Zeiss' logo is blue, so was this blue Seiko 5 Sports (ref. SRPL77) a reference to that? Who knows. What I do know is that David, a Cinema Technical Sales Specialist at Zeiss, modded this watch with a Jubilee bracelet. And you know what? I wholeheartedly approve. It's such a subtle change that I almost missed it at first glance. You can only get the Jubilee bracelet on the GMT models, which is a shame because it looks so good across the entire lineup.
I was so focused on the watch that we almost forgot to chat about the new Zeiss Horizon 2x anamorphic lenses they announced. They feature fully internalized motors for focus and iris control, leaving no external rings for manual operation. The jury is still out on whether DPs and ACs will embrace this approach for gimbal, virtual production, or robotic work. I will say that it's certainly out there and not what I was expecting from them.
My friend Jay Holben is an avid watch enthusiast, in addition to being a director, producer, DP, author, and lecturer. During events like these, he's always being pulled in multiple directions, so it's hard to get a moment to catch up with him. Even so, I always make a point of tracking him down to say hello. Thankfully, I caught him and his lovely wife at the Otto Nemenz booth before they had to race off to a panel.
It makes sense, then, that he was sporting his TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph (Ref. CBN2A1A.FC6537) to help keep himself on schedule. I won't say too much about this piece, as I've already convinced Jay to write an article about his watches at a later date. So keep an eye out for that.
Who doesn’t love a vintage Seiko? Especially one from the 80’s. The SQ line had multiple entries but I’m a fan of this particular reference for its unique shape. Check out the rest of the 8222 models. The black dial is elegant, but the gold dial is the one to get in my opinion.
Standing in the hot sun isn't my ideal way to spend an afternoon. However, throw in a Breitling Airwolf Raven with a turbine caseback and a story from Cooke Optics' Optical Engineer, Michael Nadas, and I won't complain. It turns out that long before working at the prestigious optics company, Michael was also the youngest pilot in Canada. At least for about two weeks before his record was broken.
The Raven houses a temperature compensated quartz movement that adjusts its frequency to maintain accuracy. A bit of nerdy functionality, but what kind of watch would you expect from someone who collimates lenses all day? Time accuracy is just as important as focus accuracy in our industry. I'm sure he'll have it on while inspecting the new AP3 anamorphic lenses that were just announced.
What I love about niche hobbies like watches is that when you're in them, you're all in. I randomly stopped Alex, the owner of this tiny Timex Expedition, and they immediately took me back half a century with a discussion about the research Timex did to develop the right type of Indiglo illumination that pilots could use without being spotted during night operations.
Also, can we take a second to acknowledge that Timex has been absolutely killing it lately? The Waterbury line, Atelier collection, and collaborations with brands like Noah have all found their way onto my list. Check them out when you have some time.
Next up is this Tudor Pelagos LHD (Ref. M25610TNL-0001). I'll admit that I passed by its owner a couple of times during the event before finally asking for a photo. The brushed titanium finish was too good to pass up, and the fact that it was an LHD only added to its uniqueness. I'm a sucker for anything titanium. Coming in at 42mm, the Pelagos looks and feels like the perfect everyday sports watch. Plus, the added durability and lightness of titanium (word counter: 3) ensure maximum wearability.
The owner of the watch, Daniel, and I had a fun conversation about how underrated Tudor really is, the frustrating manufactured scarcity surrounding Rolex, and how he developed apps for Hodinkee. Uhm, that's exciting. You never know who you're going to run into at events like this.
What I love most about the watches I see are the stories behind them. I first met Lilly at last year's Cine Gear while interviewing her about Gecko Cam's newest lens releases, the Opia series. At the time, she was sporting a green Rolex Submariner that I failed to photograph. I intended to rectify that this year, only to discover that she had changed things up. Not only was she showcasing the new Gecko Ayana 65 lenses for 65mm formats, but she was also wearing a Rolex Explorer II. Lilly continues to impress.
The Explorer is interesting for the same reason it isn't more popular: it's not gaudy. It's a watch for people who actually work and don't have time to waste. Lilly told me how she came across hers after walking out of a Rolex boutique when they asked to put her on a waitlist. I'm sorry, but no. Besides, that's no fun. Hunting for and stumbling upon the watch you want is always going to be the more enjoyable way to go about it. From the way she told the story, I could tell it was for Lilly, too.
And so, with that, the curtains close on another Cine Gear Expo. The industry may be in a rough patch, but the community remains as strong as ever. We are still connecting, building, sharing ideas, and obsessing over the details that brought us here in the first place. There's light at the end of the tunnel. Productions will return. New lenses will be announced. New cameras will hit the market. And, if this year's show was any indication, there will always be another interesting watch waiting around the corner.
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Let’s watch something.