Truly, Brad Pitt’s watch in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is visually and functionally intriguing. Read on to find out why!
I’ve said this several times and continue to stand by it. I think that watches more effectively reach icon status on the wrists of fictional characters. Fictional characters are often symbols in and of themselves. They’re written to make a point in the story they live in.
This is definitely the case with Brad Pitt’s watch in 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It’s one of the coolest pieces I’ve seen in cinema in the past five years or so.
There’s something meta about the whole thing. It’s a story about Tinseltown, curated in perfect stylishness.
Meanwhile, Brad Pitt, a real-life style icon in real-life Hollywood, plays Leo Dicaprio’s stunt double. That’s a lot of layers! Even more tricky, it’s hard to pay attention to the plot when you’re gawking at the beautiful gold watch he wears in the film.
Table of Contents
Which Watch Does Brad Pitt Wear in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
Brad Pitt’s character, Cliff Booth, wears a Citizen Challenge Timer 8110, otherwise known as the Bullhead Challenge Timer.
It gets this nickname because of the two pushers at the top of the case resembling bull horns. However, I’m afraid some have demoted him to “Mickey Mouse”, which is far less intimidating than “Bullhead”, in my opinion.
The overall look is sleek yet rugged, which matches the overall handsomeness of the Cliff character. The case is cushion-like but really more of a barrel, giving it a distinct and softly swervy silhouette.
Meanwhile, the dial itself features a unique panda style. Instead of a white dial face, the black subdials are set to a gold background. There were few watches like this back when it came out in the ‘70s and even less today.
The 8110 automatic movement is a flyback chronograph. If you recall from our guide on flybacks, this means you can instantly restart the Chrono even while it’s running.
Around the time this watch came out, the industry was reeling from the quartz revolution. Even the historically important Valjoux 7750 chronograph ceased production.
Audiences at the time preferred the more accurate, more affordable quartz watches. So, the fact that citizens released this when they did gives it a sort of Maverick quality.
A Watch That Suits the Character
I believe that Citizen 8110 is both well-casted and miscast.
It’s the perfect watch for Brad Pitt’s Cliff character. Not only does it match Cliff’s visual style, but his personality as well.
The lively gold mixed with practical sportiness beautifully highlights the character’s penchant for pairing rugged jeans with bright yellow Hawaiian shirts. This is especially true because he wears it with a dapper leather strap.
Even more, Cliff is a bachelor stuntman, so you know he’s adventurous. But he’s a stuntman in Hollywood, so he isn’t impervious to glamor.
As you watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, you’ll notice that Cliff is collected and cool. He’s at the twilight of his career, but he’s still sure of himself and lives in the moment. This fully parallels Citizen’s decision to release this watch despite automatic chronos supposedly being past their prime at the time.
And this might be a stretch, but I love that Brad Pitt wears a Bullhead watch and also has a pitbull in the movie. Cliff Booth lives in a Van Nuys trailer with his beloved dog, Brandy.
Supposedly, Pitt himself had quite the connection with the dog who played Brandy — which I also love.
In The Wrong Timeline
My only issue with casting this watch is that it’s an anachronism. The film takes place very specifically between the months of February and August in 1969.
This is key to the film because it’s supposed to symbolize the end of the swinging 60s. It then moves into the time of the infamous Tate-Labianca murders.
However, the Citizen Bullhead wasn’t released until 1972.
Of course, only the watch nerds noticed. It’s just that Quentin Tarantino tends to be pretty detail-oriented, so I thought it was peculiar.
So, perhaps it was on purpose?
There is something ironic about the fact it’s an anachronistic accessory that tells the time. It wouldn’t stand out as much if it were a lamp at the wrong time. Plus, the whole Pitt playing a stuntman who plays Dicaprio’s double, again, is meta.
Tarantino could simply be more concerned about how perfectly the watch matches Cliff. And by using something subtle to take the audience slightly out of it, he may be acknowledging the meta-ness of it all.
You can’t cast Brad Pitt and Leo Dicaprio in a movie about movies, where Steve McQueen is played by Damian Lewis, without being slightly self-referential.
Besides, as I mentioned, only we eagle-eyed watch folk will really notice. And even fewer of us will care that much.
Conclusion: Where to Buy the Bullhead Watch
You can find the Citizen Challenge Timer 8110 on the secondary market for anywhere between $500 and over a grand. I’d check places like eBay and Chrono24.
Make sure to put in as much detail as possible when searching while also trying different variations of search terms. You can try the “Brad Pitt Citizen watch” or “Citizen 8110 gold”, among others.
Citizen has a tendency to use the same name for different lines that have little to nothing to do with each other visually and functionally.
If you love a retro-cool sports watch with a touch of pizazz, perhaps this guy is for you. Or maybe, like Cliff, you tend to let chips fall where they may, though you don’t let it compromise your backbone. In this case, this timepiece matches your personality, too.
Or, like me, maybe you just like a good conversation piece.
What do you think of Brad Pitt’s watch in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood? Do you have any favorite watches from movies? Let me know in the comments! I love hearing from you guys! And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter at The Slenderwrist!
Leave a Reply