Why Jericho Rosales Wearing Cartier in Quezon Makes Sense

Whichever side you're on in the debates surrounding  Jerrold Tarrog’s polarizing conclusion to his so-called Bayaniverse trilogy, Quezon, there's no question that the crew pulled out all the stops in the wardrobe and style department. We aren’t really surprised considering first Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon was well-known for his penchant for dapper suits, pleated trousers, and all things stylish as far as his sartorial garments are concerned.

Philippines politics may have been at its infancy at the time, but President Quezon was arguably at the peak of his power and influence, and he certainly didn't waste his abilities to evoke supreme confidence and style with staple menswear pieces.

Think thoughtfully disheveled pocket squares, neckties and formal three-piece suits, which were his go-to pieces.

In the movie, one of the builders of the free Philippine Republic as we know it today was portrayed by the mega-talented Jericho Rosales, who is a style aficionado in his own right.

Jericho Rosales portraying Manuel L. Quezon next to Romnick Sarmenta portraying Sergio Osmeña

ALSO READ:

Greatest OOTDs in Philippine History

The Allure of the Cartier Tank and Tiny Watches

We ran into Echo at this year’s Preview Ball, when the actor casually flashed what he called a “movie prop” in the form of a Cartier Santos-Dumont with a leather strap. Mind you this was before we actually got to see the movie. We eventually saw the watch on the big screen and all we can say is that we could definitely see Manuel Quezon being a major fan of Cartier.

Props to the film’s wardrobe team for picking out such a legendary watch brand such as Cartier, which has seen a cultural renaissance in the past few years.

The new school of style icons including Tyler, The Creator, Timothée Chalamet, Paul Mescal, and Jacob Elordi have all made watches like the Cartier Tank, Santos, and even the tiny Panthère some of the coolest and sickest time pieces to rock.

In the film, Rosales, for his part, strutted around with the relaxed pleated trousers look, and sported a wide array of vintage ties that evoked a swagger only a pioneer Philippine President could pull off.

Back then during the Roaring 20s and even deep into the 1960s, watches with smaller case sizes and dials were the norm at around 30 to 36 mm, before the quartz boom and the emergence of 40 mm from the likes of Audemars Piguet, Rolex, and Patek Philippe.

Cartier kept popping up in our heads because of that Santos that Rosales showed off during our quick interview with him on the red carpet.

In particular, our eagle-eyed horological radar only saw two notable watches in the film. The Cartier Santos and a modern Cartier Tank. This isn’t including what was likely just a prop watch worn by the young fictional character and filmmaker Nadia Hernando, who wore what looked like a vintage Tank style watch but with slightly more unconventional dimensions.

Though it doesn’t help the film’s claim for historical accuracy, we saw Rosales wearing what looked like a Tank Must de Cartier because of the striking lacquered black dial and gold trim around the crystal.

Tank Must de Cartier

If you’re wondering why it’s called the “Tank,” it's really just because of the way it's shaped as it was modeled after Renault tanks in World War 1, with their distinct square proportions. Imagine you're a bird looking down at these tanks; that's the basic idea.

The black-dialed Tank is a more modern iteration of the timepiece being introduced in 1977 with the Must de Cartier line. We recognized it as part of the Must line since the piece lacked the iconic Roman numerals, with the collection getting its name from cutting the design down to two sharp hands that tick around an empty canvas.

The original Cartier Tank Louis is by no means a medium or large watch, measuring at only 24mm x 31 mm and slightly larger variations coming in at about 27 mm x 35 mm.

The classic and modern iterations of the classic Cartier Tank Louis usually come in at 24mm x 31 mm, while a larger variation may also come in at about 27mm x 35 mm.

While we couldn’t really find images or evidence of the polarizing President wearing a Cartier Tank or even any recognizable watch for that matter, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Quezon to have owned a Cartier Tank or possibly other similarly shaped dress watches considering his sartorial reputation.

Other historical and cultural icons such as Muhammad Ali, Andy Warhol, Princess Diana, and even Frank Sinatra have all been photographed wearing variations of the iconic timepiece.

Especially as younger budding style aficionados explore vintage pieces and looks from classic eras, slimmer and more understated watches such as the Tank will stay in the fashion meta for the foreseeable future.

Cartier Santos-Dumont

In the film, we also saw Rosales’ Quezon sporting a Cartier Santos-Dumont timepiece on a leather band. This was the same watch he flashed us with at the Preview Ball.

Another timeless piece, the Santos was designed by the jewelry store’s patriarch Louis Cartier, who made the watch for aviators in 1904. It was crafted upon the request of famed Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos Dumont.  It is essentially rooted in its square case, exposed screws, and its iconic art deco geometric dial on a leatherband. Even after 120 years since its release, the Santos de Cartier is arguably one of the most sought-after watches for the modern man.

I think Rosales may have been wearing another modern iteration of the Cartier piece after he told me he had a few of them in his personal collection during Esquire Philippines’ July cover shoot. The actor also told us that he had been on the search for a Rolex Explorer II, but actually purchasing one has eluded him due to the gruelling schedule that comes with filming and doing press for Quezon.

Considering the time the film was set in, Cartier is an interesting watch and jewelry brand to loop in due to its origins during the transition from actual pocket watches and the then-newfangled pieces you wore on your wrist, which were called “wristlets.”

Wristwatches were instrumental during wartime since troops needed to quickly know what time it was, and this eventually created demand for more wristwatches like the Tank.

We’ve always said that watches like the Tank and even the Santos are watches that command attention and respect, which is what Quezon sought to do whenever he entered a room.