watch worn by tom cruise in maverick

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Watching Movies Why Tom Cruise’s Porsche Design, And A Vintage Rolex, Make 'Top Gun: Maverick' The Best Watch Movie Of The Year

Lest we forget about the shiploads of iwcs. ahead of the academy awards, we talked to the film's prop master to get the full story behind each timepiece..

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Memorial Day weekend feels like an eternity ago. But that's when Top Gun: Maverick – the long-gestating sequel to the 1986 blockbuster – was released. I wrote about the new movie, and the watches in it, way back then. I knew it'd be a hit, and so did everyone else. But pretty much nobody expected it to contend for Oscars. Yet here we are.

Now, there's no Oscar for best watch, or even best prop (sigh), so last year I nominated some excellently watch-y movies myself. And this year, the imaginary Best Watch Picture statuette goes to Top Gun in a runaway.

Tom Cruise and his Porsche Design Chronograph 1 together again in the cockpit in Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

The movie brings so much to the table in terms of how a watch gets on screen in the first place. There's a bit of product placement at work, sure, but if there's such a thing as "great product placement" that's what we're getting here. On top of that is a watch with both cinematic and horological provenance, in addition to a killer vintage Rolex obtained through sheer happenstance.

How do I know all this? I went straight to the source: Robbie Duncan, property master on the film. In my initial Watching Movies post , I wrote about the IWC models that appeared wrapped around the wrists of actors like Miles Teller and Glen Powell. Those watches were the what . With Duncan, I got to the how.

"We were out in Nevada just starting to get the movie prepped," Duncan told me. "While we were there, we happened to meet this pilot who had an IWC and he said 'I can hook you up with the owner.'"

On the set of Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

The person he meant was the brand's CEO, Christoph Grainger-Herr. "So then Chris flies down to Nevada and we have a great meeting with him," Duncan recalled. "Chris and IWC were really cool in terms of letting IWC be a part of it. It got to the point where we were like 'Great, we can have every character wear IWCs now.'"

This is where the idea of great product placement comes in. Duncan fell into a scenario where one of the most popular watch brands on the planet was granting him full access to its watches for use in the film. That's nothing new though. What's different here is the legitimacy angle. IWC has a relationship with the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (real-life Top Gun), supplying watches to instructors that are unavailable to mere mortals like us.

"It was the best thing we could've had – to legitimize the pilots in that sense," Duncan said. "Watches are the closest people can get to feeling they are like pilots. It made it that much more believable."

Miles Teller as Rooster, who wears an IWC "Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor" in Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

IWC "Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor" Mark XVIII.

IWC "Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor" Chronograph.

There was something of a selection process for the watches based on the rank of the characters on-screen. "Higher-ups got Portuguese, and the pilots wore Pilot's Watches," he said. To mix things up, some of them would have a green strap and some would have a black strap on either a "Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor" Mark XVIII or a "Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor" Chronograph.

In addition to utilizing authentic IWC models, Duncan was also able to design a special stopwatch in conjunction with the brand. "The stopwatch was fun and tricky because I had to convince IWC that someone could actually put it in their hand and break it when in reality that wouldn't happen," Duncan said. "It was such a cool process. IWC was able to 3D print me outside casings to allow the non-working prop watch to function as we needed in the film."

The custom-built stopwatch co-designed by Robbie Duncan and IWC for Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

Being the prop master on a job like Top Gun has some perks – and Duncan made the most of his. "I was able to get an IWC myself from the job – a Top Gun watch," he said. "But what I did is take a Porsche Design band and put it on my IWC. IWC doesn't make an actual metal band for this one. And when I sent mine in for service, the brand said 'Robbie, yours is like a one-of-one Top Gun watch."

Robbie Duncan's actual IWC Pilot Automatic Top Gun with a Porsche Design bracelet.

Speaking of Porsche Design, let's talk about Tom Cruise's watch. In my previous story, I wrote that the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 by Orfina worn by Cruise appears to be the exact one he wore in the first film. Well, guess what? It actually is.

"Jerry Bruckheimer had this watch in his safe, and this is the exact watch Tom wore in the first Top Gun ," Duncan said. "And this one went from the set to the safe in the trailer. It had to be taken care of like crazy. The hardest part was getting doubles. There was no stuntman for Tom, but we still needed doubles of the watch."

Similar Porsche Design Chronograph 1 to the watch worn by Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick.

Tom Cruise wearing his PD Chrono in the original Top Gun. Image courtesy of Paramount

Cruise returns with the very same watch in Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

So what becomes of this piece of movie history when the film wraps? "At the end that goes back to Jerry," he said. "Jerry is at the head of the pyramid. If Tom is at the crest at the top, Jerry is just a little bit higher." Damn.

Of course, there's one last watch that caught everyone's eye while they stuffed their face with popcorn in a packed theater. That would be the vintage Rolex Explorer worn by Jennifer Connelly in the film. Where did that one come from?

Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly) wearing a Rolex Explorer in Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

Close-up of the Explorer and Porsche Design in Top Gun: Maverick. Image courtesy of Paramount

"That watch actually came from one of the producers' wives," Duncan said. "She had one and then we were able to get another one. It is a beautiful vintage Rolex." Yes, Robbie, yes it is."

Top Gun: Maverick (starring Tom Cruise) is directed by Joseph Kosinski with props by Robbie Duncan. The Oscar-nominated film is now available to rent or buy on iTunes and Amazon.

For more information about watches from Porsche Design and IWC , visit their websites. The HODINKEE Shop carries Porsche Design , and features a selection of pre-owned   IWC and Rolex timepieces.

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Top Gun: Maverick – The Return of the Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph?

It seems that, 34 years later, maverick will still rely on his pvd-coated chronograph..

In the 1986 hit action film  Top Gun , Tom Cruise starred as Naval Aviator Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, who was selected to attend the TOP GUN programme, at the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School. No need to talk about the cult status of the movie, about how cool the music was, how many of us imagined ourselves behind the yoke of the F14 Tomcat… And as you’re reading MONOCHROME, well you should know that there was a watch involved in the 1986 movie… And it seems that the Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph Black-PVD will be back on the wrist of Tom Cruise, in the 2020 sequel Top Gun: Maverick . And that is quite something!

The watch Tom Cruise wore during Top Gun was a Porsche Design chronograph in stainless steel, with a black PVD-coating, produced by Orfina, and powered by a Valjoux 7750, with central minutes and seconds. This watch was one of the first on the market with a black PVD coating, not for fashion, but because the matte black treatment reduced reflections.

You can see the black Porsche Design Orfina Chronograph clearly on Maverick’s wrist, throughout the entire film.   Here is a photo taken at the end of the film with Cruise embracing Val Kilmer’s character, Lieutenant Tom “Iceman” Kazansky.   It provides a great shot of the watch.

In June 2020, we will see the release of Top Gun: Maverick , the sequel to the 1986 film, with Tom Cruise reprising his role as Maverick. The second trailer was just released yesterday and while watching it, I noticed a familiar-looking timepiece on the wrist of Cruise’s character.

At the 51-second mark of the trailer, we see Cruise shifting the throttle while flying and we get a glimpse of his left wrist. Clearly seen is a black PVD watch with the familiar bracelet pattern of the Porsche Design Orfina chronograph.

At the 1 minute 20 second mark, we see Cruise examining a plane and the watch is visible once again on his left wrist.

It’s been thirty-four years since the first movie was released, and for Tom Cruise to potentially be wearing the exact same timepiece in the new film is very cool, considering the watch gained the nickname “Top Gun”, after the first film. Top Gun: Maverick will be released on June 26, 2020.

Photo credits: Paramount, Getty Images, classicheuer.de

15 responses

This is interesting. Is this a paid placement by the manufacturer in the film? Is this Tom Cruises’ personal watch? Or are the prop guys on the Top Gun films just really thorough?

Generally, a paid product placement in a film is much more obvious. ……ahem John Wick Carl Bucherer….ahem….. But in Top Gun the watch wasn’t prevalent enough to be a paid placement. In 2020 I’d be surprised if they paid to have that watch featured. But what do I know, I’m just some idiot on the internet.

This is not a Lemania 5100 driven watch. Your description does not match the pictures.

Thanks Carsten for pointing that out. Correct watch picture in place 🙂

To answer your question Tom, I don’t think the watch is paid placement and there is a likelihood it is Mr Cruise’s watch

Interesting indeed. So, after 34 years, the movie character still owns and wears the exact same watch? Will he still be riding the same Kawasaki GPZ900R and dating the same gal?

Definitely not dating same gal. Have you seen what 34 years does to that chick. Maverick is a guy that has a girl 34 years younger than him.

If it’s the same watch that’s pretty cool. If it’s the same watch and his own one then even better , it shows he takes care of his timepieces. There is a nice chopard showcased in 6 underground through paid placement though

Porsche Design P’6540 Heritage Chronograph

👋 the watch worn by Tom Cruise in Top Gun film (1986) is an Orfina Porsche Design with Valjoux 7750 movement.

Strap is correct for the Lemania 5100 PD Orfina, Can’t see the face but I own 3H military version. If this is in the 2020 movie that will be beautiful.

Very cool touch if in fact he is wearing the same watch, or perhaps even a newer version of the model. It’s not uncommon for military members to remain loyal and have a certain level of comfort and familiarity with a certain product/tool, etc. For most of my 20 year military career I wore a Timex expedition and would occasionally replace one with only another expedition. Now, what would be an even better touch and put me completely over the top is if in addition to the new H2 he now rides, he still has that beautiful GPz900R in the garage as well.

Maybe the black Dan Henry 1972 !?

The watch Maverick was wearing in Top Gun does NOT have the Lemania 5100 movement. In the picture with Iceman it can clearly be seen, that the numbers on the little scale at the top of the watch face are NOT at the 0/3/6/9 o‘clock positions as they should. Instead they are at the 0/4/7 o‘clock positions. This corresponds to the version with the Valjoux 7750 movement which has a thirty minute scale in that position. No doubt about it 😉

Though the bracelets of both watches are the same type of NSA bracelet, the earlier one appears worn through the PVD in many areas while the latter watch appears new. And yes, it looks like the earlier watch has the 7750 movement.

Remember that PD switched to the Lemania 5100 (in -78 or -79 ?) so that it could be sold to militaries as it is one of the best shock proof calibers. “the 5100 is one of the only chronograph movements where shock has very little effect on the chronograph second hand’s movement. Most chronograph mechanisms utilize an intermediary wheel to drive the chronograph second hand, which is susceptible to stopping when exposed to shock. The 5100 forewent that design, opting for a direct drive system, a move that made it virtually impervious to shock-induced stoppage, aside from cases of extreme shock. For many years, the German military found the 5100 to be the only acceptable movement for its purposes, largely due to the outstanding shock resistance.” The story goes that Tom Cruise wanted to wear the same watch as the real Top Gun pilots and bought the PD watch himself :). Maybe he got an early version with the Valjoux 7750 by mistake ? The real military/Pilots watch is the never version with the Lemania 5100 inside.

In the original Top Gun, Maverick can be seen wearing a Rolex Submariner at about 00:10:55 into the film. He is ignoring the order to land, going back to help Merlin. His hand is in the cockpit, operating the throttle (notable error: he’s pulling power back to idle when he should be firewalling it for a go-around). Anyway, the watch is clearly a Submariner (or a close homage.)

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Tom Cruise earns his wings as a watch-collecting maverick with a Vacheron Constantin

By Thor Svaboe

You would think Tom Cruise 's watch collection would be chock-a-block with everything from a daily platinum Rolex Daytona to bussed-down Richard Milles. But that’s where you’re wrong – Tom Cruise's watches have been playing a quiet game for most of his career.

But what has Maverick actually been wearing over the years, and why was his choice of wrist candy in Cannes last week for the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick a game-changer for Cruise’s horological street-cred? Take a closer look at Tom Cruise's watch collection and you’ll get the picture.

The late nineties icon Breitling Chronomat

Nothing says the late nineties and peak Mission Impossible fame like a brash, bold Breitling Chronomat. True to his Maverick roots, Tom can make even this bulky beast look just right, while a lit Cartier Tank would be too discreet for his Alpha Male credentials. Today we look back at big-wrist glamour with nostalgia, it might even make your buzzing silicon valley pebble feel too techy for its own good.

Steel Rolex Datejust with Roman numerals

Judging from plenty of online snaps from the previous decade, this might just be a fave everyday watch for The Cruise. The Roman numerals on his DJ make it a lateral, sensible but risky proposal. Ostensibly, this is one of the few accessible Rolex references out there and will look great with the right outfit. Get it wrong though, and you’ll look like that junior bank manager in Slough still waiting for a promotion to Head Office after 15 years of grey polyester-mix suits.

The Panerai connection

Cruise has a deep affinity for the ’00s, and his love for Panerai is the big-diameter Italian proof. They might have fallen off the radar lately, but his action movie-wrists are big enough to pull off such a watch. Both on-screen in Tropic Thunder and while in convo with Oprah he was spotted wearing the heavy metal choice of a Panerai Luminor on a bracelet.

Offbeat French style with the Calibre de Cartier

Lately, Tom Cruise has kept up his quirk choice of late noughties wristwear with the Calibre de Cartier. This is the brawny steel sports watch Cartier recently – and quietly – faded out, so maybe Cruise is onto something. Given the soaring values of Cartiers in today’s market, could this be a sleeper hit?

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The game-changing Vacheron Constantin

In a 50-minute on-stage feature interview in Cannes this week, it seems someone has (finally?) taught Cruise a lesson on Haute Horology as he was sporting a Vacheron Constantin . And not just any Vacheron, but an ultra-thin grail. The £110K Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin is one of the sleekest examples of the mastery within Vacheron Constantin today.

With its delightful blend of understated white gold 41.5mm case with a slim cuff-friendly 8.1mm thickness, this is top-tier Swiss with a twist. The Overseas range used to be the forgotten cousin in the race for integrated-bracelet stardom. And while the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak have had their days of Christie’s and Phillips catalogue front page monopoly, a change is afoot. Vacheron Constantin’s superb alternative is catching up in the hard-to-get stakes, and Mr Cruise has taken sound advice. With his effortless Cannes look of sleek all-black (some say Armani) trousers and cotton jumper, the Vacheron stole the limelight with its scintillating blue dial.

What about Tom Cruise’s big-screen watches?

With the exception of epitomising car salesman-chic with a solid gold Rolex Day-Date in Rain Man , Tom’s astute on-screen choices of wristwear have been as understated as his off-screen persona. In Vanilla Sky , Tom’s choice was the small-cased pilot’s watch, the IWC Mark XV. But his fans will know that this was not nearly half as quirky as his off-beat Tudor Heritage Chrono in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol from 2011. In the comedy action-romp Tropic Thunder we have a suspicion Cruise followed his own love for Panerai with a Luminor Marina. Or could it be that he was actually inspired by Sly himself, the man behind Panerai’s resurgence?

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Top Gun: Maverick features the same chronograph worn by Tom Cruise in the original

By Parth Charan

The 1986 blockbuster film Top Gun was the ultimate, machismo-filled tribute to aviation, ever caught on camera. The aviator shades, bomber jackets, confounding but cool pilot lingo – there wasn’t a single cultural aspect of America’s naval might that was left out in this movie. So it stands to reason that Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell would pick out his trusted pilot’s watch pretty carefully, given that out there, in Viper’s words you “have to push it’. Making Mav’s Chrono as much of an indispensable ally as his co-pilot GUnlike Goose, the chronograph survived to see 2022. The new film Top Gun: Maverick features the same Porsche Design Chronograph 1 worn by Cruise in the original. Now Porsche isn’t the first word that comes to mind when thinking of pilot watches. That word would be Breitling or IWC, the latter having its own dedicated Top Gun line of watches, worn by the rest of Maverick’s hotshot crew in the film. But we reckon Porsche has a longstanding association with the movie, given that both of Maverick’s love interests drove Porsches (Kelly McGillis driving a 356 while Jennifer Connelly drove a ‘72, air-cooled 911). Gotta go with Porsche if you feel the need for speed.

This chrono wasn’t built by the Stuttgart-based car brand. The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 was built by Orfina. Cruise said during a red carpet interview that he borrowed the watch from film producer Jerry Bruckheimer (who promptly took it back, the second the shooting concluded). Popularised in the 70s and 80s, these Orfina built chronographs featured a Valjoux movement, a blacked-out interface. The dial was designed to serve as a speedometer on the wrist. It stood out not only because it was a movie-star but because it featured a crisp, legible interface that was easier to read than what most busy-looking chronos can manage, even today.

The watch featured a special kind of black coating, that kicked-off a black Chrono craze, that’s being capitalised by the IWC Top Gun watches (which are dedicated to the actual academy and not the movie, as it turns out). Orfina achieved this by giving the watch both PVD and DLC coating, which explains why the dark texture has held up so well even after three-and-a-half-decades.

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Top Gun Maverick and all the watches…

Tom Cruise stirred up the watch scene once again as he was seen in Top Gun 2- Maverick, wearing a Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph 1. Of course its the same one his character had in Top Gun the Original. More than 30 years later Maverick not only has the same motorbike but the same watch!

The Chronograph 1 was Porsche’s first ever watch manufactured by Swiss maker Orfina. Porsche say its modelled from the inspiration of the Porsche 911 luxury car. Despite being released in 1973 it still holds its own amongst rival chronographs, with details such as its red second hand for legibility, something no Chronograph offed back in the day. It even began the ‘black black’ watch genre – first of the matte black aesthetic that is still around today.

There is a plain version and a German Military version. And its no shock that both Top Gun films took the pre-owned Orfina Porsche Design Chronograph price to huge heights. 

Alongside Tom in the film there are plenty of other watches to note – most of the fighter pilots wear an IWC watch. A Strike Fighter Tatics Instructor watch to be exact.

The watches seen are only available to graduates of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School in real life. That’s a mere 1% of all naval pilots. IWC has long been partnering with the real life Navy Fighter Weapons School (actually called TOP GUN) – since 2007 to be precise.

IWC however have not missed out on this new movie opportunity, and have released several models to their range just based on Top Gun. Cant see them being on any fighter pilot’s wrist in the white version, but they are mighty cool and might grace a wealthy watch collector’s wrist instead.

Here at Watch Buyers we have a IWC Big Pilot Top Gun ‘Woodland’ in a much calmer shade of green – we love it!

We also have the IWC Big Pilot Top Gun Pilot’s Watch “Mojave Desert” – in its buff sand colour way giving a completely different look.

Love interest Penny Benjamin wears a rolex vintage explorer (- watch buffs are saying its a ref 1016)

Not just worth a watch for the aircraft and fighter pilots – but for these special watches too!

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IWC Asked a Navy Fighter Pilot to Test Its New Top Gun Watch. Here’s How it Fared.

Captain jim dimatteo on testing the new timepiece at 7 gs—and whether there's any truth to the film 'top gun.', paige reddinger.

Watch & Jewelry Editor

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IWC just released its latest Top Gun model— a 44 mm x 15.7 mm tougher-than-nails chronograph ($9,150) in a combination of ceramic and scratch-proof, fade-proof Ceratanium (a combination of ceramic and titanium that the Swiss watchmaker began using in 2017 with its Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Edition in 2017). It’s the first all-black model on a military green strap, but it’s more than just a cool accessory that looks like it’s made to match your Tom Cruise-inspired Halloween costume. It’s a bonafide, flight-tested, and fighter-pilot approved piece of technical equipment. Just ask Jim DiMatteo, as a 25-year-long veteran and former Captain of the Navy who has amassed over 5,000 hours in five different fighter aircraft, he knows a thing or two about the perfect flight companion.

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“It’s pretty violent when you fly around in a fighter jet—you’re moving, you’re turning, you’re looking and you’re reaching,” DiMatteo, and IWC ambassador, told Robb Report . “The watch gets smacked against the sides of the canopy and the jet, which is all metal. So it needs to be durable and not get scratched and, of course, there are also a lot of little tiny parts, so if it’s not high-quality then the G-forces will impact that. It doesn’t with the IWC at all.” He also adds that despite modern technology and avionics on the panel of the aircraft, a timepiece is still an essential piece of gear, even today, that is crucial to a mission. The flight itself relies on the modern technology on the panel, but everything else, he says, is right off the wrist. “I have never seen a fighter pilot that doesn’t wear a watch,” said DiMatteo. “I reference mine all the time. It’s critically important that it functions properly, with precision and durability.”

IWC Top Gun Edition Chronograph SFTI  Courtesy of IWC

The new Top Gun Chronograph Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor is based on the SFTI chronograph IWC sells exclusively to pilots who have completed the Top Gun program. “From the day I started at IWC–October 2006, so 14 years ago–I was absolutely determined that we wanted to be a proper part of the Naval Aviation community and build a working relationship with those pilots who are the most qualified pilots in the world with the most flight experience on a day to day basis,” says IWC CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr. The company is the only watchmaker to hold the license for the Top Gun name from the US Navy. The SFTI watches for the Navy Fighter Weapons School’s elite program come with the Top Gun badge on the dial (mimicking the same badge of honor pilots receive when they graduate from the school).

IWC’s SFTI Chronograph for Top Gun Graduates  Courtesy of IWC

The new civilian version comes sans patch, but has been juiced up with the same resilient exterior able to withstand the brutality of a fighter jet. DiMatteo says when you’re pulling up to 7 Gs in a jet, just a slight turn of the neck can make your head feel like 100 pounds (he’s flown an F/18 Super Hornet at 7.57 Gs and an F/16 at 9 Gs and has lost two inches in height due to the effects of the force). “There are so many tiny, tiny pieces in a watch and I can’t get my head around how I can pull 7 Gs and it makes my head feel likes it’s going to explode and yet, these tiny pieces still work in those conditions,” he says.  When he was younger DiMatteo used to wear a G-Shock, but it got annihilated in the air. “It wouldn’t work, so you saw the impact of what you’re doing in a cockpit. That’s why it blows me away that this one works so well in such extreme conditions.”

Jim DiMatteo in the IWC Top Gun Chronograph SFTI  Courtesy of IWC

IWC’s heritage is also a source of pride for the fighter pilots. “We stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us,” says DiMatteo. “Our icons are the WWII fighter pilots, so history, heritage and legacy are really important to us. What’s really authentic and credible with IWC is that they’ve been doing this for 80 years. Their history with aviation dates back to the 1930s and that’s important. We wouldn’t want anyone to take away from our own brand that our forefathers built and they were genuinely a part of this evolution.”

While we have you, Jim DiMatteo, how accurate was the film, Top Gun:

F/18 Super Hornets  Jose M. Ramos

Singing in bars, does that happen? “The singing in bars is accurate. They stole that from us. I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of the second movie ( Top Gun: Maverick ) and the producers, directors and Tom Cruise came to the squadron space and interacted and talked to the people. Back in the first movie there was a lot of what they call “color”—they saw the guys singing to the girl in the bar and they saw the rough and tough and the cigar smoking. There were a lot of real-life characters back then, so they didn’t really have to create anything. Now, one of Tom Cruise’s reactions was that the younger kids today are a lot more politically correct. So it was kind of interesting to hear them ask where they could add “color” into their personalities and not offend the Navy, because the Navy has to be on board with this whole thing.”

And how truthful are the flight scenes? “The competitiveness to be the best of the best is very much there. The flying scenes that you see in the first movie were very accurate and aggressive. The moving back and forth and the dogfighting and the physical drain on the body is really there. One of the reasons Tom Cruise did not want to do a green screen in the new film is because he wanted to see that facial distortion and the real-life depiction of fighting to not pass out in the air. It’s authentic.”

The missions? “Some of the Hollywood stuff, like when Maverick, who is this super stud, flies over to the other side of the world to deal with a problem is not accurate. What we do from a naval aviation perspective is that you train people to have a certain ability or capacity and then they’re where they are, and if something happens, they handle it. We don’t fly somebody in to handle that.”

Clearly, the danger zone is real… “The dangers, like Goose dying, sadly, is very accurate. A certain amount of fear is good. Our bravado and our machismo approach to this is supposed to be, ‘I’m not afraid of anything. We’re fighter pilots we can handle it.’ That’s not necessarily true. It’s healthy to have fear, but not so much fear that you’re paralyzed. You try to elevate your performance with the perceived risk of the mission. It’s good fear though because it dials you up. The feeling you get is the same feeling you have before you go on stage to give a speech. You have those butterflies.”

As Robb Report's watch editor, Reddinger is immersed in all things horological. She has visited the top manufacturers in Switzerland and Germany, attended high-profile auctions and met with nearly…

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Top Gun: Maverick

After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ... Read all After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it. After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.

• Joseph Kosinski
• Jack Epps Jr.
• Peter Craig
• Jennifer Connelly
• Miles Teller
• 4.3K User reviews
• 437 Critic reviews
• 78 Metascore
• 107 wins & 234 nominations total

• Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

• Penny Benjamin

• Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

• Adm. Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky

• CWO4 Bernie 'Hondo' Coleman

• Adm. Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson

• Adm. Solomon 'Warlock' Bates

• Lt. Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace

• Lt. Robert 'Bob' Floyd

• Lt. Reuben 'Payback' Fitch

• Lt. Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia

• Lt. Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

• Lt. Neil 'Omaha' Vikander

• Lt. Billy 'Fritz' Avalone

• Lt. Callie 'Halo' Bassett

• Lt. Javy 'Coyote' Machado

• Lt. Brigham 'Harvard' Lennox

• Lt. Logan 'Yale' Lee
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia According to Miles Teller , the cast got to choose their own call signs. He chose "Rooster" because it was in the same family as "Goose."
• Goofs At 1h12'10" Coyote is in G-LOC, releases the stick and his aircraft falls towards the ground. Super-hornet are equipped with auto GCAS (automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System), which would react to the situation and take control to climb and level at a safe altitude with no obstacles.

Rear Admiral : Maverick. Thirty-plus years of service. Combat medals. Citations. Only man to shoot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years.

[Cain looks through pages of Maverick's records]

Rear Admiral : 'Distinguished.' 'Distinguished.' 'Distinguished.' Yet you can't get a promotion, you won't retire, and, despite your best efforts, you refuse to die. You should be at least a two-star admiral by now, if not a senator. Yet here you are: Captain. Why is that?

Maverick : It's one of life's mysteries, sir.

Rear Admiral : This isn't a joke. I asked you a question.

Maverick : I'm where I belong, sir.

Rear Admiral : Well, the navy doesn't see it that way. Not anymore.

Rear Admiral : These planes you've been testing, Captain, one day, sooner or later, they won't need pilots at all. Pilots that need to sleep, eat, take a piss. Pilots that disobey orders. All you did was buy some time for those men out there. The future is coming, and you're not in it.

[Cain faces the officer by the door]

Rear Admiral : Escort this man off the base. Take him to his quarters. Wait with him while he packs his gear. I want him on the road to North Island within the hour.

[surprised look on Maverick's face]

Maverick : North Island, sir?

Rear Admiral : Call came in with impeccable timing, right as I was driving here to ground your ass once and for all. It galls me to say it, but... for reasons known only to the Almighty and your guardian angel, you've been called back to Top Gun.

Maverick : Sir?

Rear Admiral : You are dismissed, Captain.

[Maverick proceeds to leave Cain's office]

Rear Admiral : The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction.

[Maverick turns around]

Maverick : Maybe so, sir. But not today.

• Crazy credits "Top Gun 001: Tom Cruise" is listed among the other pilots who worked on the film.
• Connections Featured in Conan: Tom Cruise (2019)
• Soundtracks Danger Zone From Top Gun (1986) Original Soundtrack Written by Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock Performed by Kenny Loggins Courtesy of Columbia Records By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

User reviews 4.3K

• moviesfilmsreviewsinc
• May 25, 2022
• How long is Top Gun: Maverick? Powered by Alexa
• What is the strange-looking black-colored aircraft Maverick is test-piloting at the start of the film?
• Is there a post-credits scene?
• Is it realistic that Maverick would still be in the Navy on active duty as a captain (O6) 36 years after the events of this first film?
• May 27, 2022 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official site
• Phi Công Siêu Đẳng Maverick
• Eldorado National Forest, California, USA (Forested mountain aircraft staging area)
• Paramount Pictures
• Skydance Media
• Jerry Bruckheimer Films
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $170,000,000 (estimated)
• $718,732,821
• $126,707,459
• May 29, 2022
• $1,495,696,292

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 10 minutes
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track
• 12-Track Digital Sound

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Porsche Design Chronograph 1 - Tom Cruise - Top Gun

Tom Cruise wears a  Porsche Design Chronograph 1  watch in the movie  Top Gun (1986) and he wears the watch once again in Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

In this article we will show you the EXACT model that Tom Cruise wears in the first Top Gun film.

The Porsche Design Chronograph 1 was the first watch with a black PVD coating, originally launched in 1972 this was a revolutionary watch. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche (designer of the Porsche 911), the watch was produced by Orfina.

There are variations of the watch, with different inner bezels and with Orfina logo and versions with "PD" (Porsche Design) logo.

The close up image on the left shows the exact variation of the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 worn by Tom Cruise: it's the reference number 7750, with on top of the bezel the "60" - "1 MILE" and the PD logo.

As can be seen in the film and the close-up images, the black PVD coating has worn off Tom's watch in the first Top Gun film. In the new Top Gun: Maverick film, the black PVD coating on the strap look immaculate, either from a restoration or by using a different watch.

An original Porsche Design Chronograph 1 in good condition can fetch close to $10,000.

Alternatives

If you're looking for an affordable alternative you could consider the Dan Henry 1972 Maverick model which is a very good replica of the watch, although on eBay even those watches can fetch around $800 .

Another copy of the Porsche is the Lorsa Valjoux 7750, which also still costs $699 on eBay .

A different looking black chronograph is for example the Bulova 98A186 on Amazon for $520 .  

In Top Gun: Maverick , we can also spot a lot of IWC watches. IWC provides watches to the real Top Gun school and offers a range of Top Gun branded watches.

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Watches Spotted in Top Gun 2

If you want to show people that you are knowledgeable about watches, you should better be able to name out the “Holy Trinity” in the sacred watch world. Being listed together with Patek Philippe (“PP”) and Audemers Piguet (“AP”) as the Trinity of watchmakers, Vacheron Constantin (“VC”) is undoubtedly a recognized and valuable watch brand at the very heart of Swiss Haute Horlogerie.  Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is the oldest Swiss watchmaker. Someone may doubt that something with old history is not necessarily equivalent to something good or valuable.  However, Vacheron Constantin holds its value for tremendous brand prestige and exceptional quality. Although they are somehow less talked about as the likes of Patek Philippe or Rolex, they are still deeply beloved by many watch collectors from all over the world. In order to fully understand and appreciate this legendary brand, it is better to have a little bit of historical perspective. The Story of Vacheron Constantin The history of Vacheron Constantin can be traced back to 1755 when its founder Jean-Marc Vacheron started his watchmaking business. Ever since the beginning of his watchmaking journey, the humble yet talented watchmaker Jean-Marc Vacheron had strived to develop some of the most complicated timepieces in history, which brought enormous success and reputation to Vacheron Constantin. He probably didn’t imagine that his company could exist over 260years to this date. The “Constantin” part came up and led to the birth of the brand name that we are familiar with in 1819 when François Constantin joined the company. Throughout two centuries, Vacheron Constantin has survived the wars and revolutions in Europe and has become the longest-standing prestigious watchmaker over the globe. For centuries, the Vacheron Constantin company has dedicated itself to the invention of a number of new never-before-seen watch complications and to making some of the world’s most complicated watches. This Swiss watch brand has been making unbelievable wristwatches to the world and it even created watches with high complications for the kings of Egypt. With prestigious, distinctive, and sophisticated pieces, the Vacheron Constantin brand is always a symbol of a classic while being considered as one of the ‘Trinity’ of watchmakers along with Patek Philippe and AP. Through a rich history and some difficult situations, eventually in 1996, Vacheron Constantin was acquired by the Swiss luxury goods holding company, Richemont Group. Under the leadership of the successful parent company, Vacheron Constantin sets up its new headquarters in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva in 2004. Today, Vacheron Constantin is a totally integrated watch manufacturer and crafts watches fully in-house with nearly a dozen legendary lines that watch collectors highly desire. As we can see from its long journey, there are remarkable achievements that set milestones in watchmaking history. Gentle, humble but solid, these are probably the reasons why watch collectors love such a sophisticated brand. Notable Vacheron Constantin Watch Models that Collectors Love Founded in 1755, Vacheron Constantin is legitimately presented as one of the world’s most long-lasting watch manufacturer that continuously serves with over 260 years of uninterrupted watchmaking experiences and production. Over the years the brand released a number of masterpieces that have built their names amongst the best luxury watches in the world. From the classic dress watches to iconic sports models, these Vacheron Constantin watches are all favorite pieces amongst watch enthusiasts and experts. Vacheron Constantin Overseas 5500V/110A-B481 The 1970s is the golden age of luxury sports watches. Just like the other two brands of the Holy Trinity, Vacheron Constantin also launched its own version of sports watches, the first Overseas model in 1977. It was regarded as the most emblematic VC sports watch collection. You can notice its signature bezel with rectangular recesses at the first sight, which resemble the Maltese cross landmark of the brand. Initially the Overseas automatic and the Vacheron Constantin Overseas chronograph versions were firstly released. Seeing the massive success and high demands from the watch lovers, the brand revamped the original version of Overseas in 2004, and re-edited the model again in 2016. Today the VC Overseas collection is housing a wide variety of watches including chronographs and models with high complications such as World Time, tourbillon, moon phase and more.  Amongst these notable models, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas 4500V is widely regarded as VC’s riposte to the PP Nautilus and the AP Royal Oak. Finely crafted, expertly designed, with fully in-house creation in robust stainless steel, it is a tasteful pick for knowledgeable watch lovers.  Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix 4600E/000R-B441 The VC Fiftysix is Introduced as the brand’s more casual model that comes with high quality steel, reliable automatic movements and several choices of complications. To cater the trend for vintage-styled watches, the design of Vacheron Constantin Fiftysix watch was taking inspiration from the brand’s old model of 1956. Being considered as a more entry-level version to Vacheron Constantin Overseas, the 40 mm Fiftysix model is offering a wide variety of classic and simple options in ranges from dressy, sports to casual styles. Vacheron Constantin Patrimony 1110U/000G-B086 Firstly introduced in 2004, when the brand opened its new manufacture, the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony was meant to set a new example of timeless dress watches. Coming from the Latin word “patrimonium,” which refers to “an inheritance from one’s father”, the Vacheron Constantin Patrimony is seen as a heritage to showcase the brand’s traditional watchmaking expertise and values. The VC Patrimony watch is mostly known for its classic and elegant design in an ultra-thin case. It has well demonstrated the craftsmanship of the legendary watchmaker to make it so beautiful and reliable in such a slim profile. Despite getting the high reputation since its first release, the brand didn’t stop inventing and experimenting for this emblematic VC watch. In 2009, Vacheron Constantin integrated the minute repeating complication into some slim movements for the Patrimony watches, and developed a new Patrimony 1731 movement as the world’s thinnest minute repeater caliber. Incorporating more watchmaking innovations, the current Vacheron Constantin Patrimony is already a fully developed collection that consists of several models with complications such as perpetual calendars and moon phase. Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle 82172/000R-9382 While the VC Patrimony watch collection tends towards high complications with slim cases, the Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle takes its focus more on aesthetic decoration and mechanical complexity. There are models in the current collection available in elegant design elements and embellishments, such as diamond-paved versions with mother-of-pearl dials. The VP Traditionnelle wristwatches are truly luxury watches.

Have you watched the new TOP GUN movie yet? I wonder who will not fall in love with those pilots who flew cool in this 2022 blockbuster. In this Top Gun 2 movie, most of people are fascinated by its exciting flight scenes. I am sure watch enthusiasts indeed would check out the wrists of the pilots. 

After more than 30 years since its original release, the new TOP GUN: Maverick was released earlier in 2022. The ageless Tom Cruise, also known as “Maverick” in the movie, is assigned back to the Top Gun flight school to train a team of school graduates for a special mission. Except Tom Cruise himself, who wears the same Orfina Porsche Chronograph as the initial release from 1986, every young crew of his team wear a IWC pilot watch . These watches we can see ain’t just some product placements, but there are also stories behind.

During the movie, Tom Cruise was always accompanied by his Orfina x Porsche Design Chronograph which was the same model from the first Top Gun release in 1986. Tracing back to the early 1970s, Porsche Design introduced its first watch model from the inspiration of the Porsche 911 luxury car. The watch was an all-black chronograph which was very rare at the era and it began a PVD watches trend in the watchmaking industry. 

For decades, Porsche Design watches were basically sharing similar case and dial designs and fitted with Valjoux movements. They also had collaborations with a few other brands, such as Heuer and LeJour, and released and shared similar case, dial, and overall styling with a few other brands during those decades. Their watches used to be made by Orfina, then by IWC . Today they are producing on their own. 

Some of the most famous models are the Valjoux 7750 and the Lemania 5100 models. These are said to be the same watch that were found in both Top Gun 1 and Top Gun 2 releases on Tom Cruise’s, a.k.a Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, wrist. 

IWC Pilot Watches in Top Gun 2

In the Top Gun Maverick movie, the young and elite fighter pilots in Tom Cruise’s team, can be seen wearing IWC watches . These watches were spotted on at least 3 characters: Robert “Bob” Floyd portrayed by Lewis Pullman, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw portrayed by Miles Teller, and the female aviator Natasha “Phoenix” Trace portrayed by Monica Barbaro. In the movie, these aviators are introduced as highly competitive, capable, being in the top 1% of Navy pilots. So why would these elites pick a IWC watch instead of others? 

In the real world, IWC has a deep relationship with the US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program. With a long heritage in producing reliable tool watches, IWC has been an honored partner with Top Gun flight school and supplies its pilot watches to the aviators and instructors. The brand named this series the IWC Top Gun SFTI models. This has resulted in confidential models only available to real pilots, yet the brand has also released a number of SFTI models to the general public. 

IWC has kept releasing updated models for this special collection. For instance, in 2018, IWC added two special editions to the collection in honor of the US Navy Naval Aviation community. These watches were inspired by the “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor” models which are only available for Top Gun graduates. One is the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition SFTI IW324705 and then is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition SFTI IW389004. They are both black ceramic models with an eye-catching Navy Fighter Weapons School patch on the dial at 9 o’clock. 

With no surprises, these watches are the ones that can be seen on the flight recruits in Top Gun 2. These are almost the same watches that the real-life aviators from the “Top Gun” Navy Fighter Weapons School would actually wear. In 2017, the Top Gun IWC line became a part of the brand’s Pilot’s Watch collection, so if you want to taste a bit of how it’d look like to be a Top Gun aviator, here are a few exceptional choices and latest models for you. 

IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Top Gun Edition SFTI IW324705

The IWC Mark Series is considered as one of the best military watches in history. This ever-lasting watch lineup has been through many evolutions and now it comes in the Mark XVIII version. The latest IWC Mark XVIII edition embodies all the advanced design elements and innovative functionality needed for a larger pilot watch . The 40 mm case is made from automotive titanium 5N, to enhance its durability, light-weight, and skin-friendliness for comfortability. Just like other Top Gun editions, the Navy Fighter Weapons School patch is placed at 9 o’clock on the dial.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition SFTI IW389004

As the chronograph version of the IWC Top Gun SFTI models, the reference IW389004 features a remarkable IWC in-house movement 89361 Caliber. The IWC Pilot chronograph features the hours and minutes indicators elapsed in its sub-dial at 12 o’clock. It also includes a flyback function. And the most important thing is, the iconic patch of the Navy Fighter Weapons School is displayed on the dial’s 9 o’clock position. 

IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium IW371815

This model is the first IWC pilot watch made of Ceratanium® material. Featuring a black dial, hands and a black rubber strap, the watch is presented with a full black profile while the dial and hands are coated using luminescent material in gray color. This stylish and cool timepiece portrays a distinctive monochrome look during the day and at the same time performs perfectly with full luminescent functionality at night.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun 50th Anniversary Edition IW387813

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first Top Gun model, this chronograph was developed together with the instructors based in Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. It features a classic blue dial and black hands coated with highly luminescent material. Indeed, this model also showcases the Navy Fighter Weapons School logo at 9 o’clock on the dial. Besides, since they are available only to the Top Gun instructors, each watch has an individual engraving of its owner’s name and class on the case back.

Fighter jets, vintage Porsche cars, heavy motorbikes, and pilot watches , the Top Gun 2 has provided all fancy cinema experiences to all of us. Although we may not have them all, these amazing pilot watches are probably a slightly approachable choice for us to enjoy more a bit of the aftertaste of this iconic movie. 

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Introduction With its historical origins dating back to the mid-19th century, Ulysse Nardin is one of the most revered luxury watch manufactures in the world. The company began its illustrious watchmaking adventure by producing high-precision marine chronometers. Founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland by visionary entrepreneur Ulysse Nardin, it has gradually turned into a … Continue reading “5 Reasons Why You Should Own an Ulysse Nardin Watch”

With its origins dating back to the 1950s, Milgauss is the fourth tool watch made by Rolex. The first three are the Submariner, the GMT Master and the Explorer. These robust, reliable and extremely precise timekeepers from the Professional series have been utilized for specialized activities. For example, the Submariner is a diving watch suitable … Continue reading “A Complete Guide to Anti-Magnetic Rolex Milgauss”

With a rich watchmaking heritage of about 130 years, Hamilton manufactures exceptional timepieces that seamlessly incorporate American spirit and Swiss precision. Currently based in Switzerland, the brand produces automatic, manual-wound and quartz timepieces. Positioned in the ‘mid to luxury’ price range, Hamilton offers ladies’ and gent’s wristwatches. Their flagship collections are American Classic, Broadway, Jazzmaster, … Continue reading “Hamilton Watch Reviews: The American-made Classic”

Tom Cruise’s Watches, On and Off Screen

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Tom Cruise rides into the danger zone of solitude in 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Tom Cruise is going to save the movies, even if it kills him. The daredevil superstar turns 60 in July, and with two more “Missions: Impossible” on deck he’s finally releasing “Top Gun: Maverick,” the long-delayed, 36-years-later sequel in which Cruise reprises his signature role as the smirking, cock-of-the-walk flyboy in aviator shades. It’s an outrageously entertaining picture, boasting some of the most exquisitely choreographed action sequences since “Mad Max: Fury Road” and a bruised-but-not-broken heart worn brazenly on its sleeve. This is the kind of massively-scaled, old-fashioned crowd-pleaser you probably thought Hollywood forgot how to make. Because they did.

The movie, like its main character, is an outlier — a relic from another era somehow still buzzing the tower of a world that’s passed it by. As Ed Harris’ none-too-happy admiral says in the prologue, “The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction.” Nicknamed “the Drone Ranger,” Harris is putting pilots out to pasture and has little patience for aging hotshots like Maverick. Since every Tom Cruise movie is to some extent or another a movie about Tom Cruise, it’s not much of a stretch to see the admiral pulling the plug on manned aircraft programs as a stand-in for the Hollywood studios’ pivot to streaming services and Cruise’s old colleagues settling comfortably into television careers.

This bravura opening sequence — a nifty little mini-movie of its own before the story proper starts — finds Cruise’s character performing an incredibly brave and stupid stunt, breaking orders and putting his life on the line to prolong the careers of his co-workers and crew, so they can all keep flying for just a little while longer. That’s “Top Gun: Maverick” in a nutshell. It’s not just a summer movie, but an act of faith in big-screen entertainment and old-school cinematic virtues that have become sadly outmoded in this degraded age of comic book multiverses and sloppy CGI sludge made to be watched on your phone. The clarity and classical craftsmanship of this film feel like anachronistic acts of defiance against contemporary blockbuster practices. As Cruise replies to Harris when taunted about his impending obsolescence, “Maybe so, sir. But not today.”

His latest act of insubordination might be Maverick’s last. Issues with authority over the years have kept him from ever progressing past captain, and he’s only still allowed in the Navy thanks to the semi-regular interventions of his classmate and former rival/hetero love interest Iceman, who now commands the Pacific fleet. (Val Kilmer’s health problems have been quite movingly written into the role, and while he cannot for obvious reasons appear onscreen often, that original performance remains so iconic you still somehow hear his voice in your head whenever Ice and Mav are texting.) Our hero would be grounded for good this time, except desperate times call for desperate measures, and much to the dismay of the brass, Maverick is ordered back to his old alma mater for one final assignment to close out his career.

There’s some gibberish about an underground uranium-enriching lab in what’s described as “a rogue state” known only as “the enemy.” (In keeping with the “Top Gun” tradition of being strategically vague about who and where we’re supposed to be fighting, the villains still wear black face shields so we can’t even see their complexions.) The point is that it’s a heavily defended target that can’t be reached by drones, requiring intricate aerial acrobatics at dangerously low altitudes with vertiginous dives and drops and assorted other complex maneuvers with which the new generation of Navy pilots has little experience. This gives Maverick a matter of weeks to train a new crew of cocky kids for a seemingly impossible mission (sorry) from which he worries not everybody will be coming home.

It’s a scenario similar to Clint Eastwood’s great “Heartbreak Ridge” — which coincidentally came out the same year as the original “Top Gun” — allowing a veteran star to test his mettle against some up-and-coming young whippersnappers and prove who’s still the boss. (Amusingly, both men were 56 years old when they shot these movies, yet Cruise somehow remains preserved in amber while Clint already looked older than dirt.) More importantly, it allows the star room to reflect on his advancing age and time passed by — something the preternaturally, insistently boyish Cruise has been loath to do onscreen before now.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is a surprisingly emotional experience in its evocation of the title character’s loneliness after a lifetime of burned bridges and breaking all the rules. With Cruise riding solo on his motorcycle and puttering around with old planes in an empty hangar, it seems the highway to the danger zone is a solitary one indeed. A wonderfully staged scene finds his class of new recruits bonding at a bar, busting each other’s chops and singing along to jukebox oldies. A lesser film would have found a way for Maverick to mix it up with the kids, but this one is content to let him look on, wistfully. Of all the things I expected from a “Top Gun” sequel, a melancholy undertow wasn’t one of them.

Maverick spends the movie haunted by ghosts of his past and the detritus of bad decisions. Foremost among them is Miles Teller’s resentful Rooster — son of his late sidekick Goose — a promising kid whose military career our guilt-ridden hero sabotaged because he couldn’t bear to see him put in harm’s way. There’s also a star-making turn from Glen Powell as Hangman, a swaggering know-it-all who physically resembles a mashup of Cruise and Kilmer back in 1986 and represents to Maverick everything he's come to hate about his younger, hot dog self. Finally, he’s reunited with Jennifer Connelly’s Penny Benjamin, the admiral’s daughter alluded to in the original film with whom our main character has conducted more than a few off-again-on-again flings over the ensuing decades, and his considerable charms have long ago worn off with her. (Connelly is terrific casting because not only can she hold her own against Cruise’s megawatt charisma, she’s likewise in her 50s yet still looks 35.)

Attempting to preside over all of this is Jon Hamm’s persnickety vice admiral, a perfect Margaret Dumont to Cruise’s cockpit Groucho. The man who Tina Fey once described on “30 Rock” as “looking like a cartoon of a pilot” spends the movie finding a thousand hilarious ways to be exasperated by Cruise and his refusal to do anything by the book. (In one of the movie’s more delightfully on-the-nose metaphors, Maverick begins the first day of class by tossing the flight manual into the trash.) Or maybe he’s just mad because nobody invited him to play shirtless touch football on the beach, during a winking reprise of the previous picture’s most notorious scene.

Director Joseph Kosinski doesn’t have the late Tony Scott’s lust for lacquered images, which is okay because the sequel is more of an actual movie instead of a commercial for being awesome . It’s got the easy camaraderie and rueful humor of an old Howard Hawks or a late-period Eastwood picture, which probably shouldn’t come as a surprise as Kosinski’s woefully underseen 2017 forest-firefighter drama “Only the Brave” (which also co-starred Connelly and Teller) borrowed all the right moves from Hawks’ “Only Angels Have Wings.” He brings an astonishing lucidity and precision to the midair stunt sequences, impeccably laying out the spatial geography at unfathomable speeds. Paramount put out a 50-page book for the press explaining all the unprecedented and insane efforts that were made to capture this footage over a shoot that began all the way back in 2018. But I didn’t want to read it, preferring to preserve the illusion of these breathtaking images whizzing by in IMAX. I’d rather believe my eyes.

Cruise is a believer, too. During the pandemic, it was reported that both Netflix and Amazon offered astronomical sums to stream the film, which the star vehemently vetoed, insisting that his baby be seen first exclusively on movie theater screens. If you buy what he claims in interviews, Cruise remains so in love with the moviegoing experience that he dons disguises and goes to multiplexes to watch films with regular audiences. (Everyone jokes about him wearing the “Mission: Impossible” pull-away prosthetics, but I prefer to imagine him at the mall watching “Morbius” in one of his old “Eyes Wide Shut” masks.) There’s no way Cruise could have known when they started shooting how much trouble theaters would be in by the time “Top Gun: Maverick” was finally released, but at a moment when even an alarming number of couch potato film critics are advocating for the end of the theatrical experience, it’s a relief to have an ally in The Last Movie Star.

“The world needs Maverick,” says a beloved character in the movie’s most shamelessly affecting moment. And the movie industry needs films like “Top Gun: Maverick” — big, splashy blockbuster entertainments to remind audiences that it doesn’t all have to be strange doctors and spider-men setting up Disney+ spinoff series in front of greenscreens on Atlanta soundstages. Sure, I could quibble about some choppy scene transitions and the hurried feel of the film’s first hour, but the fact remains that the last 45 minutes or so of this movie made me so ridiculously happy I couldn’t stop kicking the chair in front of me at the press screening. Apologies in advance to anyone who gets stuck sitting near me at future showings.

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Sean Burns Film Critic Sean Burns is a film critic for The ARTery.

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Screen Rant

Where to watch top gun: maverick.

Discover how to watch Tom Cruise ride and fly again in the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.

This is the place to find out where to watch Top Gun: Maverick , the highly anticipated thrill ride of a sequel to the 1986 favorite Top Gun .

Top Gun: Maverick found itself grounded numerous times since a sequel was initially announced in 2010. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was on board with the director of the original Top Gun Tony Scott, but unfortunately, Scott passed away in 2012. It was not until 2017 that Top Gun: Maverick gained momentum when Joseph Kosinski, known for his incredible CGI effects in movies like Tron: Legacy , agreed to direct the sequel. Top Gun: Maverick encountered another obstacle with the global pandemic that halted filming on several occasions. Tom Cruise and the producers resisted the temptation to send the film straight to streaming services, and with its incredible action scenes and soundtrack, Top Gun: Maverick finally hit cinemas in May 2022. Earning nearly 1.5 billion worldwide, the movie has been universally praised as taking all the popular elements of the original Top Gun and ramping up the scale of the jet-fighting action with a compelling script to match.

The countdown to stream Top Gun: Maverick at home is winding down, and you can watch it streaming on Paramount+ on December 22nd.

Watch Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+

The More Things Change, the More Maverick Stays the Same

After about 3 decades following the conclusion of the original Top Gun , Tom Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell finds himself in the familiar role of a test pilot, with plenty of photos and memorabilia around to remind him of days gone by. It soon becomes apparent that Maverick has avoided advancement in Naval ranks both by his refusal to do things by the book and so that he can continue to experience the thrill of flying fighter jets at insane velocities. Maverick then finds himself at a crossroads, with an officer threatening to shut down his test pilot program in favor of drones that can be controlled remotely with no danger of losing lives. Determined to preserve his way of life, Maverick pushes a new fighter jet prototype to its limits to convince Rear Admiral Chester "Hammer" Cain played by Ed Harris, and his other superiors of the worth of the test pilot program. Maverick, who has always toed a fine line between glory and destruction, goes beyond the demonstration's planned parameters, resulting in the jet's destruction. Fortunately, Val Kilmer's Iceman, who is now an Admiral, saves Maverick from being grounded and assigns him along with a new crew of pilots to command a perilous mission to destroy a uranium enrichment facility on enemy soil.

As is common with sequels that are separated from their originals by decades, Top Gun: Maverick attempts to appease nostalgic fans by bringing back beloved characters from the first movie. In this case, only a handful of Top Gun veterans return to accompany Maverick, and consist of Iceman who is battling a severe illness, along with the wife of Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, Maverick's wingman whose death still haunts Tom Cruise's character. Goose's legacy is critical to Top Gun: Maverick , especially after Maverick meets his son Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw played by Miles Teller, and reluctantly agrees to train him for the high-stakes mission assigned to them by Iceman. The conflict that Maverick faces is Rooster blames him for his father's death, and he also feels a duty to protect Goose's son from meeting the same fate as his father. The stumbling blocks in their relationship are not fully removed even as Maverick, Rooster, and the other pilots set off to attack the uranium plant, which only heightens the tension in one of the most spectacular action sequences ever witnessed in cinemas.

Top Gun: Maverick upstages its predecessor at every turn, with the filmmakers going so far as to allow Tom Cruise and the other actors and actresses to actually fly in fighter jets piloted by professionals, resulting in one authentic-looking and breathtaking scene after another. You can see Maverick's crew fight off enemies and perform death-defying maneuvers for yourself, and watch Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+ starting December 22nd.

CinemaBlend

Tom Cruise Basically Got 'Top Gun: Maverick' Greenlit By Picking Up The Phone And Telling The Studio He Was Doing It

Posted: May 1, 2024 | Last updated: May 1, 2024

It’s become more common nowadays for popular movies to score sequels/follow-ups decades later. In fact, the most commercially successful movie of 2022 falls into this “legacyquel” category, with "Top Gun: Maverick" soaring over $1 billion worldwide on top of earning critical acclaim. So how did Tom Cruise arrange for his return to the role Pete “Maverick” Mitchell? According to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, it was as simple as calling Paramount Pictures and telling the studio he was doing it. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jerry Bruckheimer on behalf of the "Top Gun: Maverick" digital rollout. After noting how the sequel had been in development since 2010 and hit a setback when Tony Scott, the original "Top Gun’s" director who’d been slated to reprise his helming duties, died in 2012, I asked Bruckheimer at what point he and the other creative minds behind "Maverick" decided that it was still worth moving forward with the movie.

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