The reviews for the new live-action Moana movie aren’t sparkling but there’s at least one amazing thing to come out of the film. Dwayne Johnson’s reprisal of demigod Maui is justified completely by his special $265,000 Jacob & Co. Matai Tourbillon inspired by his character’s tattoos.
Released ahead of the premiere of Moana II, the Matai Tourbillon is large, bold, and proud: at 45mm in 18K rose gold, it’s roughly as subtle as a dying star, and includes a matching multi-link brick-style rose-gold bracelet. The watch was designed by Jacob & Co., Johnson, and the actor’s stylist, Ilaria Urbinati. The watch’s dial pays special tribute to Johnson’s Samoan heritage and, more specifically, to his character Maui from the Moana film series. The black dial features designs that mirror Johnson’s tribal tattoos—patterns that he’s spoken about as being inspired by his heritage, culture, family, and victory over his life’s struggles. In Moana, Maui’s tattoos even come to life in certain scenes.
The watch is a mechanical powerhouse, too. A skeletonized rose-gold handset and a one-minute flying tourbillon manage to do their respective jobs without interrupting the dial art, especially considering the latter’s cage is carefully skeletonized in a pattern that complements the dial’s larger tattoo motif. Powered by a hand-wound movement with 60 hours of power reserve, an earlier version of the Matai Tourbillon was originally spotted on Johnson’s wrist back at the Moana II premiere in 2024 on a black alligator leather strap with a rose gold and titanium deployant clasp. Since then, however, it seems to have been paired with its aforementioned bracelet, which is reminiscent of those seen on certain Patek Philippe Grand Complications such as the 5270. A true pièce unique designed for Johnson, the watch exists—as far as we can tell—in just one example.
Johnson is a known watch enthusiast, having worn significant pieces by Chopard, TAG Heuer, IWC, Rolex, Panerai, and, of course, Jacob & Co. At the Met Gala earlier this year, he wore the $3 million diamond-slathered Billionaire III. Still, this Matai Tourbillon is arguably a cut above the rest because it’s totally unique and made special for Johnson. Cool as the Alpine Eagle, Carrera Glassbox, GMT-Master II, Luminor Marina, and the Billionaire III, they’re still serially-produced models designed by dedicated watch designers.
The Matai Tourbillon was designed from the ground up as a tribute to Johnson’s (and, by extension, Maui’s) heritage. “We wanted to pay homage to the beloved character of Maui that Dwayne helped make so iconic, and merge that design with Dwayne’s personal tattoo to make it very personal to him,” Urbanati said back in 2022.