When most people think of Jay-Z, they think of, well, Beyoncé first and foremost, but they then think of his chart-topping hits and, lastly, his blinding watch collection. The man is not just a fan of watches; he’s a collector of some of the most expensive and complicated timepieces in existence that are quite literally worth more than all of our houses, cars, and dogs collectively.
Jay-Z’s watch collection is comprised of brands like Audemars Piguet, Richard Mille, and Patek Philippe, but the one brand that sits at the very top of his shelf, like the sock that is a toddler’s most prized possession, is Hublot. He’s made it quite clear that Hublot holds the biggest space in his heart, and made sure to proclaim it to the world in his 2011 song Otis, in which he sang, “New watch alert: Hublot.”
Jay-Z watch collection: The Hublot Big Bang for $5 million
Jay-Z must have used his music to drop some major hints to his wife about what he wanted for his 43rd birthday because, in 2012, Beyoncé gifted him a $5 million dollar Hublot Big Bang (yep, that said 5!). It was an 18-karat white gold watch completely covered in 1 282 diamonds and took over 14 months to construct. All the diamonds were apparently selected individually to keep the same consistency and color, with each one being resized to fit the watch perfectly. It’s quite literally a dazzling and highly ostentatious display of what money can buy, which seems to suit the rapper just fine.
In true fanboy fashion, as many celebrities who are fans of a brand do, Jay-Z released a set of two limited-edition watches with Hublot in 2013. The Hublot Classic Fusion in yellow gold will set you back a pretty penny at $33,900, and the black ceramic comes in at $17,900. The pieces were limited to just 350 in total.
Jay-Z watch collection: Richard Mille, Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet
Of course, the Jay-Z watch collection features several other brands besides Hublot, and we’re showing you our top picks.
1. Richard Mille RM 47 Tourbillon
The Jay-Z watch collection is much like the rapper himself, bold and distinctly unaverage, so having a Richard Mille watch (or several) suits him perfectly. Often referred to as the “Samurai,” the Richard Mille RM 47 Tourbillon is absolutely mind-bending to look at. It’s clearly an homage to Japanese culture and the spirit of warriors, but it also appears as if it’s an artwork in a museum. Of course, if aesthetics were all that mattered, Jay-Z could buy any old watch, but it’s the inside that makes a Richard Mille watch shine. It’s equipped with a manual-winding tourbillon movement and a power reserve of 72 hours, and the baseplate and bridges are made from grade 5 titanium, meaning the gear train operates smoothly.
2. Cartier Crash
Not one to just wear a normal vintage watch, the Jay-Z watch collection features many pieces that have all been taken to the next level. He owns an iconic Cartier Crash, but in a skeletonized titanium that was released in 2015. This piece was limited to just 10 pieces, meaning it’s incredibly rare. The avant-garde shape of the original Cartier Crash was created in the 1960s and is to this day highly distinctive.
3. Patek Philippe Grand Complications 6102R
The Jay-Z watch collection has so many Patek Philippe watches it could practically function as its own store. The rapper was seen rocking a Patek Philippe Grand Complications 6102R in rose gold while attending a Beyoncé concert in Houston and was later seen wearing the Celestial in platinum at Super Bowl LIV. Apparently, Jay-Z is like your mom buying the same sweater in 12 different colors.
The main draw of this watch is the celestial dial, depicting the night sky, and giving the watch a touch of elegance compared to other more outlandish timepieces in the the Jay-Z watch collection. As for tech specs, this watch has a total of 315 parts, with 12 bridges, and 45 jewels along with a power reserve of 38-48 hours.
4. Patek Philippe Grand Complications 6301P-001
The Jay-Z watch collection naturally has to have some unique timepieces, not just in looks but in sounds as well. The Patek Philippe Grand Complications 6301P-001 has a “grande sonnerie” mode that chimes on the hours and quarters and a “petit sonnerie” mode that chimes on the hour. It also features a pretty cool minute repeater in which the wearer can press a button on the winding crown to hear a symphony of sounds that will tell them the hours, quarter hours, and elapsed minutes since the last quarter. It’s an orchestra on your wrist, in a nutshell. Its platinum case is 44.8mm, and it has a power reserve of 72 hours.
5. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked Ceramic
Jay-Z sported the super rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Openworked Ceramic while on vacation with Beyoncé in 2021, proving his life is just not like the average person. The open-worked design means you can see all the mechanics of the perpetual calendar movement with a day, date, month, leap year, and even moon phases shown. Aesthetically, the pink gold against the black is drop-dead gorgeous.
Jay-Z watch collection: A collectors candy store
What else is there to say about the Jay-Z watch collection? It’s expensive (ridiculously so!), super rare, and a little bit eyebrow-raising with its aesthetics, much like the man himself.
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