Luxury. Legacy. Lies. All told in time.
In The White Lotus Season 3, luxury once again masks dysfunction — where time isn't just passing — it’s performing and the tiny ticking details speak the loudest. On the sun-drenched shores of Thailand, the resort’s guests arrive with curated luggage and curated lives. Beyond the designer clothing and carefully curated vacations, there’s a more intimate accessory that reveals each guest’s truest self: their watch.
Mike White’s world rewards the observant. Every tick of a second hand, every flash of a dial in the sun, is a clue. From heritage pieces to tech-savvy flexes, the watches worn by these guests reflect their anxieties, ambitions, and masks. The timepieces on display tell us who these people are — or who they desperately want to be.
Here’s a closer look at the key characters of Season 3 — and the watches that silently shape their stories.
Timothy & Victoria Ratliff –
Matching Rolex Day-Date
“We believe in quality. Everything else is noise.” – Timothy
Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) doesn’t speak loudly. He doesn’t need to. He’s old money, Southern polish, and the type of man whose watch glints before he finishes a sentence. The Day-Date in yellow gold — black dial for him, champagne for Victoria (Parker Posey) — is a declaration of inherited power, not acquired flash.
This is a couple who doesn’t chase trends; they set the temperature of the room when they walk in. The choice of different dial colors hints at their individual personalities within the marriage—Timothy's darker dial reflecting his serious demeanor, while Victoria's lighter dial suggests a desire for warmth and social grace.
Victoria (Parker Posey), ever the steel magnolia, wears hers like a coronet. It’s less about the time and more about reminding you she’s never been late to anything that mattered.
Symbolism: The matching Rolexes signify controlled unity — at least on the surface. But beneath the golden sheen? A relationship polished for appearances, quietly ticking.
Easter Egg: In Episode 2, Victoria adjusts her watch while criticizing a hotel server’s “posture” — as if time itself must behave around her.
Saxon Ratliff - Hublot Big Bang Unico ‘Black Magic’
“It’s disruptive. It’s bold. It’s… me.” - Saxon
Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), the eldest Ratliff son, lives to impress—whether it’s strangers, investors, or Instagram. He’s the kind of guy who’ll throw around a “liquidity event” at brunch and still flex shirtless at the beach bar. His Hublot is the ultimate ‘finance bro’ flex — industrial, big, and loudly skeletonized that demands to be noticed.
The Big Bang Unico isn’t subtle. Neither is Saxon. And that’s the point — he wants you to see the gears, the mechanism, the “hustle.”
Symbolism: The Hublot's modern and aggressive styling mirrors Saxon's desire to carve out his own identity separate from his family's traditional values.
Easter Egg: He uses the Hublot bezel to time an ice bath challenge with two influencers… who never show up.
Lochlan Ratliff – Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch 'Mission to Saturn'
“Why does everything in this family have to be gold and heavy?” - Lochlan
The Sensitive Youngest — Lochlan (Sam Nivola) is introverted, observant, and quietly yearning for something deeper. His MoonSwatch — playful yet cultured — hints at his curiosity and rebellion against his family’s flashier style.
It’s a nod to his Gen-Z taste: practical, ironic, and yearning for independence. He’s orbiting the Ratliff gravitational pull, but you can feel he’s ready to break free. He wants identity — just not his family’s.
Symbolism: The MoonSwatch reflects Lochlan's questioning of his identity, indicating his desire to fit in while still expressing individuality within the confines of his family's expectations.
Easter Egg: He buys the MoonSwatch in an airport scene before boarding — symbolic of his desire to find a different orbit.
Rick Hatchett - Timex Q GMT
“You don’t forget time. You carry it.” - Rick
Rick (Walton Goggins), is the kind of man who could be charming or dangerous — and you won’t know which until it’s too late. A wanderer with a suspicious tan and a young girlfriend, he wears a modest Timex Q GMT. Vintage. Functional. Cool if you know, unremarkable if you don’t.
He’s clearly a man with stories. And secrets. The GMT hand suggests a past life in different time zones—and maybe a present he’s still hiding. This quartz classic evokes the ‘70s and adds depth to Rick’s ambiguity. The GMT is also a relic of someone who once needed to know what time it was in Bogotá and Berlin — at the same time.
Symbolism: A man trying to appear grounded, but haunted by places (and people) he left behind.
Easter Egg: In a flashback-laced monologue, Rick fiddles with the bezel as he recalls “missing a train in Prague.” The watch? Still set to Central European Time.
Jaclyn Lemon - Hermès Nantucket
“Understated is underrated. It’s how you last.” - Jaclyn
Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) is elegance aged in anxiety. A once-rising actress clinging to her name in lowercase headlines, she dresses like a French Vogue spread from 2009 and drinks like someone who isn’t sure if she’s in control — or if that’s the illusion.
Her Hermès Nantucket is slim, tasteful, and almost invisible — much like how she wants her neuroses to appear. But make no mistake, it’s curated. It's deliberate. She chose it because it says "I belong." Even if the world stopped believing that years ago.
Symbolism: It's a subtle yet unmistakable nod to her status in the entertainment industry, where appearances are meticulously curated. The watch’s minimalism matches her carefully curated persona—elegant, appropriate, timeless.
Easter Egg: She adjusts the watch mid-conversation anytime she’s uncomfortable. Wait for it — it’s also her poker tell.
Sritala Hollinger - Jacob & Co. Fleurs de Jardin
“Beauty is precision. The more complex it looks, the simpler it becomes.” - Sritala
Sritala (Lek Patravadi) doesn’t just co-own the resort — she is the resort. Polished. Enigmatic. Ethereal in linen, but sharp enough to cut glass. Her Jacob & Co. is pure floral spectacle: a mechanical garden whirring on her wrist. Roses, butterflies, and one very high complication rate.
Like Sritala, the Fleurs de Jardin is both breathtaking and confusing. It’s hard to tell what’s for show and what’s machinery. But every piece is intentional. And every piece hides something.
The swirling flower motif tourbillon is all sugar on the surface, but it’s mechanically intense underneath—just like Sritala’s diplomatic smile and steel interior.
Symbolism: The Fleurs de Jardin's opulence mirrors Sritala's position of power and her penchant for the finer things in life. It serves as a reminder to guests and staff alike of her authority and the luxurious standards she upholds at the resort.
Easter Egg: In episode 3, a guest mistakes her watch for a Patek. She doesn’t correct him.
Valentin - Vostok Amphibia
“Where I’m from, we don’t chase time. We endure it.” - Valentin
Valentin (Arnas Fedaravičius), the resort’s enigmatic wellness guide with Russian roots, wears the utilitarian Vostok Amphibian. This Soviet-era dive watch is known for its durability and unique design.
There’s something old-soul and out-of-sync about him. The Vostok says he’s not here for the glitz.It doesn’t sparkle — but it endures. Built like a submarine hatch, it reflects his past as someone who’s survived many pressure zones. He’s here for something deeper—or darker
Symbolism: The Vostok Amphibia reflects Valentin's connection to his heritage and his pragmatic approach to life. It's a functional choice that speaks to his grounded nature, contrasting with the extravagance that surrounds him at the resort.
Easter Egg: The ticking grows louder during his meditation sessions — sound design or symbolism? Either way, it’s chilling.
Final Reflection: What They Wear When They’re Not Watching
In The White Lotus, everyone’s performing — for their partners, their followers, their idea of who they should be. But their watches? They’re brutally honest.
Because at the end of the day, we all wear time. But what we choose to wear says far more than what we say out loud.
So next time you press play, watch the wrists. That’s where the real drama ticks.
