The Most Expensive Watches Owned by Musicians
Emili Vesilind
August 1, 2023
"Major music artists are among the most enthusiastic watch collectors—they’re in the public eye so often, and sporting a new, classic, or cult-favorite timepiece is a great way to flex their style bona fides.
Our friends at celebrity watch platform WatchPilot tracked down the top 10 most expensive watches owned by music artists, and shared the results with us. Let’s take a look at the horological marvels that made the cut, and what makes each so valuable.
Jay-Z
Hublot’s Big Bang watch, $6.7 million
Courtesy Hublot
Beyoncé gifted her husband this custom $5 million Hublot Big Bang watch for his birthday in 2012, and it’s both blindingly bejeweled and one of the most valuable watches ever assembled. The 18k white gold watch includes 1,282 diamonds—the dial alone features 179 baguette-cut diamonds. Every diamond in the watch is a VVS, and it reportedly took a year to source them, followed by a full year to set them (in collaboration with Geneva workshop Atelier Bunter).
Eric Clapton
Patek Philippe’s Ref 2499 in Platinum, $4.6
Courtesy Patek Philippe
This watch was in production from 1951-1986, but only 349 were made, and most were forged in yellow gold. Almost none were made in platinum. Hence its holy grail status amongst watch collectors.
Eric Clapton
Rolex “Albino” Oyster Daytona, $4 million
Courtesy Christie’s
Christie’s sold this watch, owned for decades by Clapton, in 2015. The ultra-rare 6263 is one of only four known examples categorized as an “Albino.” A white whale, indeed.
DJ Khaled
Jacob & Co’s Billionaire III, $3 million
Courtesy Jakob & Co.
In 2022, Khaled bought the “Billionaire III,” which is covered in 713 diamonds, including 504 emerald-cut diamonds horizontally set by hand in 18k white gold. In total, the piece boasts over 129 cts. white diamonds. Allegedly, he talks to it.
Ed Sheeran
Patek Philippe’s 5208p Grand Complication, $1.32 million
Courtesy Patek Philippe
This Patek is ultra-rare, but is one in several $1 million-plus watches in Sheeran’s watch collection, which is heavy on colorful Richard Mille models and Rolex rarities.
Pharrell
Richard Mille’s RM 25-01, $1.3
Courtesy Richard Mille
Only 20 of these majorly oversized watches were made, and its features are wild: there’s a rotating bezel made from damascene TPT carbon, a removable bezel that can be replaced with a liquid compass module with a hinged cover, and a tiny vial that holds three water purification tablets, which can make any water drinkable in around half and hour.
Drake
Richard Mille’s RM 69 Erotic Tourbillon, $990,000
Courtesy Richard Mille
Made of 90 percent titanium, 6 percent aluminum and 4 percent vanadium—and featuring 505 components and 41 jewels—the RM69 calibre features Richard Mille’s “Oracle” complication, which spells out intimate messages, generated randomly. A button located at 8 o’clock retracts and lets you read the statements. Not for everyone, but definitely for Drake.
Drake
Patek Phillippe’s 40th Anniversary Edition Nautilus, $835,000
Courtesy Patek Philippe
Only 1,300 of these anniversary Nautilus were made. Special features in this model: diamond indexes and a special stamp on the dial to commemorate the anniversary that reads “1976-40-2016.”
Usher
Tirat custom watch with diamonds, $330,000
Courtesy Tirat
Usher asked Tiret to make a diamond-encrusted watch with his face on the dial—a specialty item, to be sure. A whopping 1,106 yellow and white diamonds of various sizes were used.
Tyler, The Creator
Cartier’s Crash, $297,000
Courtesy Cartier
The classic and revered Cartier Crash, which debuted in 1967 and is no longer made, now fetches ...
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