It comes as no surprise that some of the most impressive watch collections in the world belong to famous celebrities.
And while it would be easy for any celebrity to spend some of their fortune on watches, the true horophiles are in it for more than status – they take the time to understand craftsmanship, and even seek out very rare pieces.
Such is the case with John Mayer, Jay-Z and Eric Clapton – they’re not only big names in music, they’re also respected watch collectors, critics and collaborators.
Here’s a peek into their watch boxes:
John MayerTo the public, John Mayer is best known as a Grammy-winning crooner, guitarist and songwriter; but to the cultish watch community, he has earned a reputation for being a discerning watch collector. His first luxury watch was an IWC Big Pilot, which he wore so often that he was nicknamed “Big Pilot” by his tour managers. His love for mechanical watches has only grown since then. Today, his watches are stored in bank vaults and are worth “tens of millions”, and he has become the go-to guy for other celebrities (such as Drake and Aziz Anzari) when it comes to buying watches. Photo from John Mayer on Instagram |
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IN HIS COLLECTION:
Rolex Explorer II White Dial And Steel Bracelet Rolex Daytona Chronograph Panda Paul Newman
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Lange & Sohne Double Split
IWC B-Uhr
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Extra-Thin
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Split-Second Chronograph
Rolex Sea-Dweller Double Red from the 1970s
and a Chanel Mademoiselle Prive.
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Jay-ZAny fan of Jay-Z would know that he’s not shy about name-dropping his favorite luxury brands in his songs. And he raps about his watches. A lot. While he does have different watch houses in his collection, he seems to be partial to his Rolex, Hublot and Audemars Piguet watches if we were to judge based on his songs. Jay supports the brands so much that he even worked with Audemars and Hublot for limited edition watches. In 2005, Audemars Piguet came out with a special edition Jay-Z Royal Oak Offshore – it had his signature engraved on the caseback, a special diamond-studded “10” on the dial, and an iPod loaded with Jay’s albums to date. In 2013, he also worked with Hublot for the Shawn Carter by Hublot collection. Photos from Hublot and Hublot on Twitter |
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IN HIS COLLECTION:
Rolex GMT Master II
Richard Mille DLC Tourbillon
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubber Clad TW Steel TW-22
Rolex Day-Date II in Platinum
Richard Mille in Titanium
Rolex Day-Date in Yellow Gold
Hublot Big Bang Fusion Classic
and a Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Las Vegas Strip Tourbillon.
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Eric ClaptonApart from being one of the most influential guitarists of all time, Eric Clapton also has an enviable collection of watches – a number of which are very rare vintage pieces. He’s most often seen wearing his Rolex GMT or Milgauss, but a peek into his collection will reveal watches that even some aficionados probably didn’t know exist. Ever heard of a “Yachtmaster Daytona“? It’s a prototype created by Rolex in the 70’s that has evolved into today’s Yachtmaster. Other astounding models in his keep are his Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 in platinum – a model that has only been produced twice; a Paul Newman Rolex Daytona on a Fatstrap, which is the exact way Paul Newman wore his; and an “Oyster Albino” Daytona ref. 6263 which has a completely white dial. |
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IN HIS COLLECTION:
Rolex 50th Anniversary GV Milgauss
Rolex Datejust in steel
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day Date in yellow gold Rolex Turn-O-Graph
Rolex Submariner and Rolex GMT Master II
Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 in Platinum
Daytona Paul Newman
and a Oyster Albino Daytona ref. 6263
Eric_Clapton_2, by Majvdl, licensed by CC BY 2.0
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