Hollywood MVP Terry Crews Models The Year’s Top Watches

Terry Crews keeps thinking about a dream he had the other day. “I saw this house fall and I went in amongst the wreckage,” he recalls. “There was a little baby in there, just barely breathing. I handed her to my wife. We were caressing her, and she started breathing again! She was beautiful, man. I said, ‘This is going to be our baby! We’ll call her World. World Crews.’ ”

Panerai Submersible Chrono — Guillaume Néry Edition, $24,600

Maybe it sounds like he needs to lay off the midnight snacks, but Crews believes it was a subliminal call to action: “My wife tells me, ‘That, right there, is you looking to help the world.’ ”

Breitling Aviator 8 Chronograph 43, $6,455

In many ways, he already is. The NFL linebacker turned actor brings laughter to millions as Terry Jeffords, the jumpy, yogurt-obsessed sergeant on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (which debuts its seventh season in January). But he’s also been working to shatter harmful gender norms; not only has he spent much of his career subverting his muscle-bound stature by playing wacky, hysterical characters (White Chicks, Idiocracy), he’s one of Hollywood’s foremost advocates for the fight against toxic masculinity.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, $42,300

“There was an unspoken rule in entertainment that if you had muscles, you couldn’t be funny,” says Crews. “You were supposed to be dumpy or hard. What I wanted to do with my characters was turn masculinity on its ear. I think it’s opened things up for a lot of big guys who really just want to show a softer or funnier side. You can go be yourself. I’ve always been that guy!”

Tag Heuer Monaco, $6,650

Crews admits his outspokenness has shut some doors for him in the industry, but he’s clearly not losing sleep over it. At 51, he’s still notching roles in game-changing superhero franchises (Deadpool 2) and is the endlessly beaming host of America’s Got Talent.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Blue Magic, $26,100 

What’s more, he boasts quite the enviable watch collection. “Most of my watches have a real big meaning behind them,” he says. “My Panerai Bronzo was given to me by Sylvester Stallone when we did Expendables 2. Sly’s a good dude.”

HYT H4, $65,000 USD

And so is Terry. A radiant, infinite source of positive vibes, he makes a better world by riding his own wave, flowing through life like an untouchable river of hot lava. “Hollywood loves to dangle carrots in order to get you to do things,” he says. “But I’m like, ‘Nah, you can keep it. In fact, eat that carrot. I’m over here eating steak!’ ”

Zenith Defy Classic, $9,500

Photography: Leigh Keily 

Styling: Dolly Pratt

Terry’s Clothing: Nana Boateng for Amen & Amen

Grooming: Olivia Fischa

See all of the watches worn by Terry: