Clicky Bezel: The Story Behind the Paul Newman Daytona in Crazy Rich Asians

This is the story of the Paul Newman Daytona in Crazy Rich Asians.

The Rolex Paul Newman Daytona is one of the most legendary watches ever made. But in Crazy Rich Asians, it appears in a place most collectors would never expect: on screen in one of the film’s most memorable moments.

In this video, we explore the story behind how a Paul Newman Daytona ended up in the movie and why that specific watch was chosen. What seems like a small detail actually reveals a thoughtful decision about character, culture, and authenticity.

This project took more than a year to complete. Coordinating conversations with people whose schedules span publishing, film production, and the global watch world takes time. At the same time, we were also building the Clicky Bezel watch store in San Francisco, which made the journey to finish this story even more meaningful.

To help tell the story, we spoke with several people closely connected to the watch world and the film itself.

Eric Wind is one of the most respected vintage watch dealers in the world and the founder of Wind Vintage. Known among collectors for his expertise in rare Rolex watches, Eric helps explain why the Paul Newman Daytona carries such weight in the collecting community and why its appearance in a film like Crazy Rich Asians matters.

Kevin Kwan is the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, the novel that inspired the global hit film. His stories are known for their attention to detail and cultural nuance, and objects like watches often play a subtle role in communicating status, taste, and character within that world.

We also hear from Justine Dunn, the prop master for Crazy Rich Asians. Her role involved sourcing and selecting the objects that appear on screen, helping bring the visual authenticity of the film to life, including the Paul Newman Daytona itself.

Together, these perspectives reveal the surprising journey of a watch that collectors obsess over, now preserved as part of modern film history.