Talking Watches With Tobias Harris, The Philadelphia 76ers Star With An Eclectic Watch Collection

His collecting is both extremely personal and highly self-aware. He buys really, really nice watches with an exclusive pedigree, with a bit of a nod to the fact that, yeah he's an NBA star and that career affords him (literally) the ability to grab exclusive pieces. He doesn't take that for granted but is equally hyped up about the more approachable pieces in his collection. And it's not an act – when you watch the video you'll hear about how a Citizen connects to one of his favorite hobbies. He wears and values his watches, regardless of market price; it's refreshing to see and a lot of fun to hear about. 

You'll see in the video that the major through line in his collecting is his family. His older brother is in the watch business (and was off-camera gently ribbing him occasionally, as older siblings are wont to do) so Harris has a well-informed voice responding to his "should I get this?" texts. But you see the family connection in every piece, from his grandfather, a Tuskegee Airman, to his father who played college ball, to his wife – Harris buys pieces that remind and celebrate those closest to him. Watch the video to hear their stories. This is Talking Watches with Tobias Harris. 

Harris's father had a Day-Date when he was growing up, and he long associated the watch with successful people. He purchased the watch as a gift to himself when he signed his first NBA contract extension in Orlando. Not only was it a sign of his personal success but he had been known to rock a fake Rolex in his early days and was ready for the real thing.

After his time in Orlando, Harris headed to Detroit to play for the Pistons. It was a major time for him, he fell in love with the city and fell in love in the city. During his time there he also fell in love with Shinola, collecting both a watch and a monopoly board, natch. Harris wears the watch in more low-key situations and cherishes it for its close ties to an important city in his life.

Power forward. Watch collector. Whale watcher. Harris is very, very into whales and this Citizen Eco-Drive combines two of his greatest hobbies. This earth-friendly Eco-Drive is solar-powered for longer battery life and has an Orca on the caseback. Harris wears this watch on his annual whale-spotting adventures.

While this Bulova A-11 Hack Watch is a cool watch unto itself, it's Harris's family background that makes it a particularly meaningful piece in his collection. His grandfather, Lt. Colonel John Mulzac, served in WWII as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, and this watch and its hacking feature allowed the pilots to be in sync. Harris's grandfather wore a Bulova as his dress watch, and this watch reminds Harris of him and his legacy.

Basketball runs in the Harris family. Harris's father, Torrel Harris, played college basketball for Duquesne and Murray State in the late 1970s and early '80s. This is the watch he received for playing in the 1980 NIT (National Invitation Tournament). It's important to Harris to have not just his father's watch but one from his time playing basketball.

On the other end of the Accutron spectrum is this bold and futuristic Spaceview. Taking cues from the original Accutron Spaceview the green, openwork dial under the crystal lets Harris watch the electrostatic movement. It also came with a box of cigars, which Harris wasn't mad about.

When Harris was preparing to get married, he called up an AD at Hamilton Jewelers to see if they had complementary a Rolex for him and his soon-to-be wife. They did, and presented two beautiful Day-Dates. The natural markings in the Onyx dial remind Harris of the peaks and valleys of life.

One of the many watches in rotation, this Overseas gets a lot of wrist time thanks to the easily interchangeable straps and bracelet. Purchased when he became a little more confident in watches and stepped outside of the standard "famous athlete" brands, Harris jokes that he got this Vacheron before everyone else in the NBA was into VC...

A recent addition, we've spotted Harris wearing this watch courtside. After years of calling around, this watch finally made it into his collection. He got the call from his AD that they had something special, and he showed up without even fully knowing what they had. Luckily, it was this rose gold stunner that fits Harris like a glove.

A testament to perseverance, Harris grabbed this watch on his honeymoon in Capri (not a bad honeymoon gift) after knocking on the door repeatedly. Harris tells it better than I ever could so watch the video for the full story, but let's just say persistence pays off.