Wall Street Watches: Gordon Gekko's Cartier and Bud Fox's Upgrade
Wall Street (1987) is remembered for suspenders and slicked-back hair, but its watches tell the story as clearly as the tailoring. Oliver Stone's film puts Gordon Gekko in a gold Cartier and takes Bud Fox from a cheap gold dress watch to a Cartier of his own as he climbs. This guide goes character by character, labels how well each watch is documented, and covers the 2010 sequel, where IWC supplied the watches.
The short answer
Nothing in the 1987 film is confirmed on the record. We found no statement from the costume or prop department, or from the actors, about any watch. Several outlets agree that Gekko wears a gold Cartier Santos , but none cites a primary source and the exact reference is disputed. Bud Fox is reported in a Lorus and later a Cartier Panthère . The sequel's IWC watches come from IWC's own press material.
Who wears what: quick reference
| Character (actor) | Watches |
|---|---|
| Gordon Gekko(Michael Douglas) | Cartier Santos (gold; Santos Galbée per two outlets) |
| Bud Fox(Charlie Sheen) | Lorus gold quartz dress watch; Cartier Panthère (yellow gold, white dial) |
| Everyone else in the 1987 film(Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah, Hal Holbrook, Terence Stamp and others) | No documented watch |
| Sequel only: Gekko and Jake Moore in Money Never Sleeps (2010)(Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf) | IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition “Kurt Klaus” (rose gold); IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar |
How we label the evidence
Confirmed means a costume designer, prop department, the brand or the show itself said so, or multiple reputable outlets agree and cite a source. Reported means a single reputable outlet or database reports it. We leave out other fan speculation, and where sources disagree we say so. All prices are in US dollars and are indicative; check current listings before buying.
Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas)
Gekko wears a yellow-gold, square-cased Cartier with a white dial, black Roman numerals and a gold bracelet on his left wrist, with a gold chain-link bracelet on the other. Descriptions place it at his first meeting with Bud, in shirt sleeves and suspenders. Deployant notes that a Rolex Day-Date would have been the likely choice for a character like him, and that the real financiers said to have inspired Gekko wore watches that did not especially stand out. Gekko's Cartier is a deliberate departure from that. Outlets agree on the brand; they do not agree on the model, and we have found no primary source.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where you see it | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartier Santos (gold; Santos Galbée per two outlets) | UNCERTAIN. BAMF Style and Besnard say Santos Galbée; a Swedish outlet and one dealer say Santos Or Massif 2960; a forum thread reportedly argues Santos Carrée | Uncertain | Gekko's first scene with Bud (his birthday scene, per BAMF Style). Brand and family are widely reported; model is disputed | Asking EUR 28,800 for a c.1990 yellow-gold Galbée ref. 819901 (Collector Square, 2026; not converted); about $25,000 for a Santos Or Massif 2960 (Dagens PS, December 2024) |
BAMF Style says 1987 was the first year of the relaunched Santos Galbée, but gives no source. A WatchUSeek thread reportedly argues the Galbée came after the film, though we could not open the page and treat that as unverified. Dealer listings that call a watch the “Gordon Gekko” Santos are marketing nicknames, not evidence. Prices above are asking or editorial figures, roughly $25,000 to $32,000 for solid gold, and are not a market average.
Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen)
Bud's watches track his rise. As a junior broker he wears a cheap gold dress watch with a white face and Roman numerals. Once he joins Gekko's circle it is replaced by a square-faced gold Cartier, also on a gold bracelet. Wristcheck reads the Santos and Panthère pairing as a mentor and apprentice echo; that is interpretation, not a statement from the filmmakers.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where you see it | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorus gold quartz dress watch | Not identified. A Lorus chronograph RM317EX8 appears on Spotern only as a “close match” | Reported | Early in the film, as a junior broker. Gentleman's Gazette describes a gold case on a dark brown leather strap | About $100 at the time (Gentleman's Gazette); current value not researched |
| Cartier Panthère (yellow gold, white dial) | Panthère Ruban quartz 1060 is a community match (Spotern, user-submitted) | Reported | Later, once Bud is in Gekko's orbit. Brand and style reported by several outlets; the reference is community-identified only | A 1980s all-gold quartz Panthère sold for $4,000 at Antiquorum New York on April 10, 2013 (old; estimate $2,000 to $4,000) |
Lorus was a Seiko subsidiary founded in 1982, so the cheap watch is a plausible period piece; see our Seiko history for the parent brand. A new diamond-set Panthère listed at $35,000 is a different watch and is not comparable.
Everyone else in the 1987 film (Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah, Hal Holbrook, Terence Stamp and others)
No watch was identified for Carl Fox, Darien Taylor, Lou Mannheim, Roger Barnes, Sir Larry Wildman or other characters in any source we read. That is an absence of sources, not proof the characters wore none. Our checks did not cover the IMWDB database, so it may hold entries we missed.
Sequel only: Gekko and Jake Moore in Money Never Sleeps (2010) (Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf)
This section covers the 2010 sequel, not the 1987 film. IWC says Gekko wears its Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition “Kurt Klaus” in rose gold, and that Jake Moore wears a Portugieser Perpetual Calendar. Senatus frames this as IWC securing a starring role, and L'Orologio agrees on the models. Both outlets echo IWC's press release, so this is effectively a brand-sourced placement, and we found no costume department confirmation.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where you see it | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition “Kurt Klaus” (rose gold) | IW376205 | Reported | Worn by Gordon Gekko in the 2010 sequel, per IWC press material | Not researched |
| IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar | IW502303 | Reported | Worn by Jake Moore in the 2010 sequel, per IWC press material | Not researched |
Watch & Bullion says Gekko also wears the original Cartier and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Louis Zabel a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin and Bretton James a Vacheron Constantin Américain. Only the IWC part for Moore is corroborated elsewhere, so the rest is uncertain. Where the sources conflict we prefer IWC's own account for the IWC watches.
Gold Cartiers and the language of power
Wall Street's wardrobe is well documented; its watches are not. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick, named by BAMF Style, Gentleman's Gazette and Besnard, told the From Tailors With Love podcast she wanted Gekko to be seductive, like a movie star. That interview does not discuss watches. Alan Flusser was heavily consulted on Douglas's wardrobe, with Alexander Kabbaz making his shirts. Those details come from clothing writers, not from any watch statement.
What the sources do offer is a reading. Gekko's gold Cartier is a square, dressy watch in a world where a Rolex would have been the obvious choice, and Bud's trade-up from a $100 quartz to a Cartier of his own is a one-glance sign of how far he has come. For another story about money told partly through watches, see our guides to Billions and Succession.
Get the look for less
Real-world watches that echo the ones above, with indicative US prices from the sources we read. These are editorial suggestions, not watches from the film.
| Watch | Why it fits | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Cartier Santos Galbée, vintage yellow gold | The closest documented family to Gekko's watch, though the film's reference is disputed | ~$25,000 to $32,000 asking for solid gold (EUR 28,800 asking at Collector Square, not converted) |
| Cartier Panthère, 1980s gold quartz | Bud Fox's reported upgrade | $4,000 (Antiquorum New York, April 2013; dated) |
Myths and mix-ups, corrected
- “Gekko wears a Cartier Tank.” No source says Tank. The reported watch is a Santos.
- “Gekko wears a Rolex.” Deployant says a Rolex Day-Date would have been the likely choice for the character, but he wears a Cartier Santos.
- “The watch is definitely a Santos Galbée.” The reference is disputed between the Galbée, the Or Massif 2960 and a Carrée. We do not state a single reference as fact.
- “Santos sales skyrocketed after the film.” One outlet says so, with no figures and no source. Treat it as unverified.
- “The costume department chose the Santos.” Only Wristcheck says this, and it cites no source. The costume designer's interview does not mention watches.
- “Gekko's sequel watch is a Reverso.” IWC's press material names a Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar. The Reverso claim comes from one blog and is uncertain.
- “Dealer ‘Gordon Gekko’ Santos listings prove the model.” They are marketing nicknames and offer no evidence for the claim.
Sources
Deployant (Nick Gould, 2016), BAMF Style, Besnard, Watch & Bullion, Gentleman's Gazette (2022), Wristcheck, Care of Carl, Dagens PS, Collector Square, Antiquorum and Spotern for the 1987 watches; the From Tailors With Love interview with Ellen Mirojnick; IWC press material as reported by Senatus and L'Orologio for the 2010 sequel. No source on record from the film's costume or prop department mentions a watch. Prices are indicative US-dollar figures with their dates and sources as given; euro figures are not converted. Retrieved October 11, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What watch does Gordon Gekko wear in Wall Street?
Outlets widely report a gold Cartier Santos, but the exact reference is disputed and no source on record from the production confirms it.
What watch does Bud Fox wear in Wall Street?
Reportedly a cheap gold Lorus quartz dress watch early on, then a gold Cartier Panthère once he joins Gekko's circle.
Is Gekko's watch a Cartier Tank or a Rolex?
No. Sources point to a Cartier Santos, not a Tank, and not a Rolex.
What watches are in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps?
According to IWC's press material, Gekko wears a Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Edition Kurt Klaus and Jake Moore a Portugieser Perpetual Calendar.
Who was the costume designer on Wall Street?
Ellen Mirojnick, per BAMF Style, Gentleman's Gazette and Besnard. Her interviews we read do not discuss watches.
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