Michael Jordan’s Insanely Complicated Watch Is the Perfect Tequila-Sipping Companion

Photograph courtesy of Cincoro Tequila.

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It would seem that even the G.O.A.T. isn’t immune to the enduring influence of Gérald Genta.

At an event for his Cincoro tequila brand, Michael Jordan wore a Greubel Forsey GMT SPORT Tourbillon Titanium 45mm Limited Edition—the first Greubel Forsey to feature an integrated bracelet in the mode of the famed Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. An avant-garde masterpiece of complicated timekeeping, it slips in well amongst MJ’s collection of pieces from the likes of Purnell, Urwerk, Roger Dubuis, and more.

From French watchmaker Robert Greubel and English clock restoration expert Stephen Forsey, Greubel Forsey is renowned for its mind-bogglingly complicated designs, which have won numerous prizes at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, the watch Oscars. The GMT SPORT Tourbillon Titanium 45mm Limited Edition is a fine example: Measuring 45mm in titanium, its elliptical bezel necessitates a similarly curved crystal, which is incredibly difficult to mill. When viewed head on, however, the watch appears circular, the result of a visual illusion that’s simply not possible to achieve on a conventionally-priced piece of mass-manufactured fare.

The watch’s blue dial, meanwhile, plays host to several complications in a unique configuration: There are central hands for the main timekeeping function, of course, but then there’s a 72-hour power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock; a 24-hour world timer and day/night indicator paired to a three-dimensional globe at 8 o’clock; a 24-hour GMT hand and running seconds indicator between 10 and 11 o’clock; and a 25-degree inclined tourbillon at 1 o’clock. While the globe spins on its axis once per day, the tourbillon features a fairly unusual 24-second period, creating an incredibly dynamic display that’s constantly in motion. The hand-wound movement within, consisting of 435 parts, beats at 21,600 vph.

With its titanium construction, matching, integrated bracelet, and 100m of water resistance, the GMT does, technically, earn its “Sport” designation. Who in their right mind, however, would possibly wear this nearly-$600,000 beast anywhere near any substance that could possibly cause it damage is beyond our knowledge and comprehension. (Though, on second thought, if you can swing a $600K watch, presumably you can afford to scratch it, it flood in the pool, or cast it into the fires of Mt. Doom.)

Only MJ could make this a casual piece in his collection. While it can handle all the elements, His Airness gets away with wearing it while simply sipping tequila.

Originally Appeared on GQ