Here’s the central premise of the viral YouTube talk show Hot Ones: instead of putting A-listers on the couch to promote their latest project, guests are instead to invited to partake in a gauntlet of increasingly spicy chicken wings (or their vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free alternatives) while answering deep dive questions about their past. There is one surprising contingent invested in the unusual celebrity interview format: watch enthusiasts, who are rewarded with countless examples of horological excellence throughout the show. Despite the omnipresent threat of getting “Da Bomb” hot sauce on a favorite timepiece, Hot Ones creates an unexpectedly excellent setup for showing off a watch. The athletes, actors, and musicians who appear on the show sit on stools at a high table in a black box studio. This unadorned set and side view provides the perfect view of both wrist and watch while they lift the wings to their lips. Unlike a red carpet, the unpretentious nature of this YouTube program suggests that the watches these celebrities have not been decided by stylists and are their own timepieces (except for brand ambassadors like David Beckham and Serena Williams). This sort of authenticity sends tingles down a celebrity watch spotter’s spine. And since stars are not like us, their watches often provide extra entertainment value: The athletes, actors, and musicians have access to the types of timepieces collectors drool over. As of this writing, Hot Ones has filmed 371 episodes since its March 2015 launch. Most shows focus on one guest. Assuming that only half of those guests is wearing a timepiece (on the Jackman/Reynolds episode, Wolverine went bare wristed while Deadpool wore an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch) that’s still a lot of watches. We’ve sifted through the show to find the spiciest watches to appear on Hot Ones. 19. Sean Evans Rolex Datejust To establish a base level of hotness, let’s take host Sean Evans’ yellow-gold and steel Rolex Datejust. Enough guests have worn Datejusts to almost render it nearly basic, but the heatmaster general’s two-tone model rises above the pack thanks to its size and golden highlights. 18. Billie Eilish Skmei Digital Sports Watch (2024) Hot Ones utilizes the Scoville Heat Rating, which measures the spiciness of a food or pepper. based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, primarily capsaicin, found in their formulation. For Season 23, the scale ranged from 1,800 to 19,000 units. Billie Eilish’s watch collection is just as wide-ranging, with everything from Casios to Audemars Piguet. For her Hot Ones appearance in 2019, Eilish wore a $6, 38-mm Skmei Digital Sports Watch. For a style iconoclast, it’s hot because it’s not. 17. Glen Powell TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Titanium (2024) The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Titanium 39 mm brought the heat to balance out actor Glen Powell’s laidback persona. 16. Aaron Paul Cartier Ronde Louis (2025) Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul wore a Cartier Ronde Louis for his May 2025 appearance. It was fun to see a celebrity wear something Cartier outside of the Santos and Tank, which are both safe red-carpet options. 15. David Beckham Tudor Black Bay Chrono Pink (2024) David Beckham is a stylistic game changer (remember the faux hawk and the sarongs?) The Black Bay Chrono Pink takes something familiar—Tudor’s flagship model—and turns up the heat with the addition of a pink dial. 14. Ryan Reynolds Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional (2024) Sean Evans’ deep-dive question for Ryan Reynolds was about an ankle injury the actor sustained while working as a forklift driver at a Safeway grocery store in Vancouver. Reynolds' deep-dive watch was a version of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, featuring a moonshine gold case and green dial. 13. Stone Cold Steve Austin Sinn U1 SDR (2019) When participating in a hot wings challenge, one must anticipate the unexpected. For his 2019 appearance, ex-wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin sported a very niche, entry-level Sinn U1 SDR dive watch on a mil-strap. 12. Idris Elba Rolex Day-Date (2019) Idris Elba provided one of the series' most memorable, face-melting memes (when the spice kicked in, he challenged Evans to a fight). But his watch—a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date with a black dial—was sort of mid, sort of hot, so that’s why we’re placing it at the halfway point of this list. 11. Kumail Nanjiani Patek Philippe Aquanaut (2019) Just like when Kumail Nanjiani got jacked for his Marvel movie debut Eternals, the comedian’s rose-gold Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167R made us sweat in a sexy way. 10. Lewis Hamilton IWC Big Pilot’s AMG (2024) We know famous athletes have contractual obligations to wear their sponsors' watches, but it was still a delight to see world-class driver Lewis Hamilton take on the wings of death in May 2025, wearing the IWC Big Pilot’s AMG G 63 ref. IW501201 9. Vince Vaughn Panerai Luminor Quaranto Quattro 1950 8 Days GMT (2024) Red carpets and couch segments only allow for a brief flash of the wrist. It’s always nice to see a super complicated watch like actor Vince Vaughn’s Panerai Luminor Quaranto Quattro 1950 8 Days GMT ref. PAM233 get the air time it deserves. EXTRA SPICY 8. Simu Liu IWC Portugieser Automatic (2021) Critics of hot sauces will tell you that heat for heat’s sake will overwhelm your tastebuds and erase the taste of the food. Shang-Chi star Simu Liu's choice to wear a classic IWC Portugieser Automatic ref. IW500109 brought the heat while preserving the horological flavor. 7. Serena Williams Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar (2024) Do skeletonized watches keep you cool when you eat hot sauces? Serena Williams’ Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked ref. 26585CE.OO.1225CE.01 suggests that a little airflow helps. 6. Chris Hemsworth Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph (2024) The first rule of Hot Ones is don’t touch your eyes. Chris Hemsworth failed to follow this decree. Thankfully, his gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26331BA.OO.1220BA.01) distracted viewers from seeing the mighty Thor shed tears. FLAMING HOT 5. Ice Spice Richard Mille RM 05 (2024) While rapper Ice Spice failed to complete the Gauntlet of Death, therefore joining the Hot Ones Hall of Shame, her bust-down Richard Mille RM 05, set with aftermarket diamonds, was a winner. 4. Zlatan Ibrahimović Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “Cactus Jack” (2024) Hot Ones nearly brought soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimović to his knees. His limited-edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked “Cactus Jack” Travis Scott collab was just as fire as the wings. 3. Ed Sheeran Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (2021) During his Hot Ones episode, Ed Sheeran confessed that his biggest regret was giving the song “Love Yourself” to Justin Bieber. In Sheeran’s no regrets list, his Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph ref. 5270G-019. 2. Flea FP Journe Octo Lune (2023) Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea not only surprised us by being a watch guy, but also for showing up to the Hot Ones set wearing a super-rare platinum FP Journe Octo Lume. 1. John Mayer Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow (2018) As previously mentioned, Hot Ones has seen its more than its share of Rollies. So many that we can’t be bothered to list them all. At the same time, if Rolexes are so popular, it makes sense that the hottest watch to appear on this list is guitar virtuoso and noted collector John Mayer’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow ref. 116599. They say if you imbibe enough hot sauce, you will begin to hallucinate, and this fever dream of a Daytona is the most over-the-top: it features diamond-studded lugs, meteorite subdials, and bezel and indices set with precious stones in all of the colors of the rainbow.