The Watches Of ‘The Sopranos’ Proves Crime Does Pay

The impact of The Sopranos is not to be understated: when it premiered back in 1999, not only did the crime dramedy put HBO on the map as an emerging powerhouse of original storytelling, but it also ushered in a new golden era of television defined by the anti-hero (without Tony Soprano, there is no Walter White or Don Draper).

With its success and wide-spanning influence came a healthy production budget – around $2 million per episode, making it one of the more moneyed small-screen productions at the time – which David Chase and his costume department put to extremely good use, kitting out The Sopranos cast with some enviable watches.

RELATED: We Spoke With ‘The Sopranos’ Creator David Chase

Today, it’s par for the course to obsess over the watches featured in shows like The Gentlemen, The White Lotus, and Succession. But at the turn of the millennium, the watches worn by characters on TV weren’t really given much thought – either by the audience or the people making the show. Which only makes the watches that made on-screen appearances for The Sopranos even more interesting, because clearly, someone gave the subject some serious thought.

Countless watches were worn on screen during The Sopranos’ six-season, eight-year run, but here, I’ll focus on the most important timepieces of everyone’s favourite characters. From Tony Soprano’s Rolex to the lesser-known watch rocked by Johnny Sack, check them out below.

RELATED: ‘The Sopranos’ Creator David Chase Returns To HBO With Drama About CIA Program MKUltra

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Tony Soprano – Rolex Day-Date Ref. 18038

Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) Rolex Day-Date has to be one of the most famous watches in television history.

The quintessential “I’ve made it” watch, crafted from solid gold and versatile enough to be worn anywhere from a dinner with the family to carrying out hits on a boat, it’s a watch that can do it all. The specific reference he’s understood to have worn is the 18038, powered by the calibre 3055 automatic movement with a quickset date function.

While this watch was produced with dozens of different dials, Tony always wore the most classic version – a golden (or “champagne”) dial Rolex with stick hour markers.

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Carmela Soprano – Rolex Lady Datejust

Much like her husband, Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) also loved the Big Crown, and for most of the show, she was spotted wearing a two-tone Rolex Lady Datejust 26mm (possibly the ref. 69173).

Unsurprisingly for the wife of a mob boss, her watch was an accompaniment to her very impressive jewellery collection.

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Meadow Soprano – Rolex Daytona “Pink Beach” Ref. 116519

One of the more impressive – and surprising – watches worn in The Sopranos is on the wrist of Meadow Soprano (Jamie-Lynn Sigler), who’s spotted wearing a rare Rolex Daytona “Pink Beach” Ref. 116519.

Cased in white gold and featuring a pink-hued mother-of-pearl dial, it’s got an unmissable pink leather strap and isn’t always an easy watch to find for sale, with the same model selling via Bonhams in 2022 for HK$381,000 (~AU$70,200).

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Christopher Moltisanti – Cartier Roadster, Pasha Grille, Tank Francaise

Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli) was a Cartier man through and through, wearing the gold bracelet versions of both the Pasha Grille and Tank Francaise, as well as the Roadster that probably got the most time on-screen.

While the Roadster and Francaise from that era aren’t particularly rare watches today, the specific configuration of Pasha he’s wearing is unusual, featuring an H-link-style bracelet that’s less common than the brick-style also found.

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Corrado “Junior” Soprano – Rolex Datejust Ref. 1601

Much like Tony, Carmela, and Meadow, Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) is also a Rolex lover, spotted wearing a classic Rolex Datejust Ref. 1601.

These watches aren’t particularly rare – especially when you compare them to Meadow Soprano’s Rolex Daytona “Pink Beach” Ref. 116519 – so if you want to replicate Junior’s look, it won’t be too tough.

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Paulie “Walnuts” Gaultieri – Movado Esperanza & Piaget

Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) wore a few watches, but his most famous is the Movado Esperanza, which he repped for multiple seasons of The Sopranos.

It also appears to be the favourite watch of Tony Sirico in real life, who’s been spotted on red carpets rocking both gold and steel versions of the Esperanza across the years.

Beyond the Movado, in a scene with Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore), he’s also spotted wearing a yellow gold bracelet watch that could very well be a Piaget ref. 9131 C4, of which an example was sold by Christie’s in 2022 for US$5,000 (~AU$7,200).

This is a tougher watch to ID, however, as there were a few different watches during the time that bore a resemblance to the Piaget shape.

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Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero – Rolex Day-Date

The traitorous Big Pussy (Vincent Pastore)also wore a Rolex Day-Date, though the configuration of his watch is a little more unusual than the one worn by Tony Soprano.

It features a red lacquer dial – known among collectors as a “Stella” dial – and has diamonds set into the hour markers, bezel, lugs, and even the bracelet, which Rolex never actually made.

The closest genuine Rolex I could find that ticked most of the boxes of Big Pussy’s watch is this Day-Date ref. 1804 with a burgundy lacquered dial alongside diamond-set hour markers, bezel, and bracelet.

Made at the request of the Sultanate of Oman and sold by Phillips in 2015 for CHF 191,000 (~AU$264,500), unless Bonpensiero also had deep ties to Middle Eastern royalty, his watch was likely modified by a jeweller before he bought it it fell off a truck.

The most similar watch you can actually buy is a Rolex Day-Date “Red Stella” dial ref. 18038, which was recently sold by the UK-based dealer Watch Collectors (linked below).

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Johnny Sack – Concord Centurion

Hailing from across the river in New York, Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola) might not have been top dog in the Lupertazzi crime family, but his watch certainly could have been.

While the Concord Centurion bears plenty of resemblance to the famed Piaget Polo, it’s a genuinely interesting watch in its own right thanks to its solid 18k gold case and integrated bracelet, and gadroon-style form.

It’s unclear if he’s wearing the quartz or mechanical version of the watch, but with a hefty gold watch like this, the movement isn’t why anyone is wearing it.

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Furio Giunta – Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback

Tony’s bodyguard and enforcer, Furio Giunta (Federico Castelluccio), is one of our favourite characters from The Sopranos, and to match his full-blooded Italian enthusiasm, the props department paired him with a suitably bold timepiece on his wrist.

In a scene driving with Tony, he’s spotted wearing a Zenith El Primero Rainbow Flyback, a heavy-hitting watch that was originally released in 1997 to specifications set out by the French Air Force (though the contract was never finalised).

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If you enjoyed this wrap-up of the best watches spotted in The Sopranos, you might enjoy our other film and TV watch-spotting articles below:

• A Complete Timeline Of James Bond Watches
• Our 6 Favourite Watches From Netflix’s ‘The Gentlemen’
• From Rolex To Hermès, ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Is Rich With Luxury Watches
• All The Best Watches Of ‘Succession’ Season 4
• Pierce Brosnan’s Watch Collection Proves He’s Always Had A Golden Eye

Also read:

• ‘The Sopranos’ Creator David Chase Reveals Show’s Alternate Ending
• HBO Paid James Gandolfini $3 Million To Reject A Starring Role In ‘The Office’
• The 100 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time (According To IMDb)