The Garden of Time: The best jewels and timepieces at the 2024 Met Gala

The first Monday in May is one of the most anticipated dates in the fashion calendar. This is the day when the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York unveils its costume exhibit with the Met Gala — an extravagant night of culture, camp and fashion. 

This year, the exhibition is called “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”, and it features roughly 250 garments — many of them made out of materials that are too fragile to ever be worn or exhibited again — all showcased in a glass case a la Sleeping Beauty. To celebrate this exhibit, celebrities were tasked with dressing to the theme of “The Garden of Time” for the 2024 Met Gala on 6 May.

The theme derives inspiration from a short story of the same name by J.G Ballard, where a couple tries to prolong their inevitable destruction by a mob by using “time flowers” that send the mob back in time. But the garden is no longer growing those flowers, so the end is near. Much like the fragile dresses on display.

And with the theme being The Garden of Time, we take a look at some of the best watches and jewels — and the celebrities that wore them — at the Met Gala 2024.Alexandra Daddario in TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer brand ambassador Alexandra Daddario wore a TAG Heuer Aquaracer Date to the Met Gala this year. The watch is yellow gold and steel featuring a white mother-of-pearl dial and diamonds. As for the dress, the White Lotus star chose to reawaken fashion with her lace Dior Haute Couture gown and a gorgeous snake headpiece.Kieran Culkin in IWC Schaffhausen

Kieran Culkin brought a playful flair to the Met Gala with his IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser Automatic 40 watch that paired perfectly with his splatter paint suit and pink loafers. The watch comes in an 18-carat white gold case and a horizon blue dial. The Succession actor was accompanied by his wife Jazz Charton in a gorgeous yellow flowery gown.Michelle Yeoh in Cindy Chao

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh attended the Met Gala wearing gorgeous jewellery by Cindy Chao. She wore the magnificent Emerald Waterfall earrings and the Emerald Floral ring, which perfectly complemented her metallic Balenciaga dress. She paired this with a Richard Mille RM 07-01 watch.Amanda Seyfried in Chaumet

Amanda Seyfried wore a sustainable Prada gown made out of leftover deadstock fabric and paired it with a beautiful Mélodie Nacrée tiara from Chaumet. She also wore the Joséphine Duo Eternel earrings, Laurier and Joséphine Aigrette Impériale rings from the luxury fine jewellery brand.Eddie Redmayne, Jonathan Bailey and Barry Keoghan in Omega

Many stars opted to wear Omega to the Met Gala this year. The brand’s ambassador Eddie Redmayne paired his Steve O Smith designed tulle skirt and flowing black coat with an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Shades 38 mm watch with a sandstone dial. 

Meanwhile, Jonathan Bailey chose to wear a De Ville Trésor with a diamond-paved bezel and a black leather strap with his custom Loewe suit. Barry Keoghan showed up in a Mad Hatter inspired Burberry suit with a rare 1930’s Omega Lépine “Sideros” pocket watch in the art déco style, along with a De Ville Prestige in yellow gold, and a Seamaster Aqua Terra in 18K sedna gold and diamonds.Colman Domingo in IWC Schaffhausen

Colman Domingo was among the best dressed men throughout this year’s awards season. So it was only fair that he pulled out all the stops for the Met Gala 2024. The Oscar nominee turned up to the gala in a gorgeous suit designed by Willy Chavarría. He also wore a cape in tribute to the late fashion journalist Andre Leon Tally and Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman.

Colman paired this look with an IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 which comes in a case made of 18-carat armor gold, and obsidian black dial.Naomi Watts, Sabrina Carpenter and Phoebe Dynevor in Bucherer

Bucherer was a popular fine jewellery choice for the Met Gala this year, with Naomi Watts pairing her sparkly black custom Balenciaga dress with pieces from Bucherer’s Inner Fire collection. More specifically, the Inner Fire masterpiece bracelet with a 3.05ct pear cut diamond.

Phoebe Dynevor paired her first-of-its-kind custom pink Victoria Beckham gown with a classic ring featuring a 2ct pear cut diamond, a classic bracelet and masterpiece earrings from Bucherer. Meanwhile, Sabrina Carpenter wore an Oscar de la Renta number with a yellow diamond necklace and rings, earrings from Bucherer’s Inner Fire collection and tennis bracelets.

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