Jay-Z needs no introduction (we’ll give you a brief one anyway). He’s a rapper, producer, designer, publisher, and, most importantly, a very serious watch collector. Jay has been seen wearing a bevy of high-end watches since he emerged on the rap scene in 1992, and once his 1996 debut album,Reasonable Doubt, became an instant classic, Jigga stepped his timepiece game up to elite status with a host of pieces that the average man has probably never heard of -- but that’s what you want with a good watch. Here are 10 of the watches Jay has worn over the years, including a few he played a big role in.
No.10 Rolex GMT Master II
Jay-Z may not actually own this one, but it is rumoured that he and Kanye gave customised Rolex GMT Masters to the sound engineers who kept Watch the Throne from being pirated. If that’s the case, there are some seriously valuable GMTs circulating with a caseback you just can’t make up.
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No.9 Richard Mille DLC Tourbillon
Jay-Z wore this DLC tourbillon from Richard Mille at the Watch the Throne release party, and he counts the brand as one of his all-time favourites. These watches cost several hundred thousand dollars, and Jay’s is very similar to the one worn by Rafa Nadal.
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No.8 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Rubber Clad
Jay wore the Rubber Clad on the cover of Gotham Magazine. The Rubber Clad is actually one of the less expensive Audemars Piguet watches he owns and has been spotted in. It’s a casual chronograph with a rubberized bezel, pusher and straps.
No.7 TW Steel TW-22
Not every watch Jay-Z wears costs a lot of money. He wore a $500 oversize TW Steel watch on the Bill Maher show, and actually received a lot of praise for supporting a small, inexpensive watch brand.
No.6 Rolex Day-Date II (In Platinum)
The Day-Date II in platinum is one of the most expensive watches Rolex has ever made, and it doesn’t have a single diamond on it. The DDII is sized at 41mm, which is actually a very large size for a Rolex. He wore this one on The Daily Show last year.
No.5 Richard Mille (In Titanium)
Jay-Z was asked to be on the cover of the special 15th anniversary cover of Vibe magazine, and the watch he chose? Back to Richard Mille. He has also been seen wearing Richard Mille while on stage on many occasions.
No.4 Rolex Day-Date (In Yellow Gold)
This could be described as the ultimate “baller's” watch, and Jay has been wearing one for years. This is the original Day-Date and is sized at two millimeters smaller than the Day-Date II (No. 6 on this list). If there is one watch that Jay-Z should be known for, it’s the yellow-gold Day-Date from Rolex.
No.3 Hublot Big Bang Fusion Classic
Yup, this is the “Otis” watch. Nuff said.
No.3 Hublot Big Bang Fusion Classic
Yup, this is the “Otis” watch. Nuff said.
No.2 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Las Vegas Strip Tourbillon
Jay took the honourable step of helping out his friends at Audemars Piguet by donating his personal Las Vegas Strip limited-edition tourbillon for its charity event in 2010. The watch ended up selling for over $200,000.
No.1 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Jay-Z Edition
You’ve gotta be someone special to have AP dedicate an entire watch to you, but then again, Jay-Z is definitely someone. This special edition came out in 2005 with Jay-Z’s signature engraved on the caseback, a special diamond-filled “10” and an iPod preloaded with Jay’s albums to date.
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