Jay-Z Outdid Himself With This $2.2 Million Patek Philippe
The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 6300G on Jay-Z’s wrist is a very special watch. Made out of white gold, sporting a reversible case with a black dial on one side and white on the other, it cost $2.2 million when it was first released in 2016. It was only the second evolution of Patek’s Grandmaster Chime, one of the most souped-up watches in the world: it has 20 complications, including the ability to delightfully chirp out the time every quarter-hour (known as a Grande Sonnerie); tell the wearer what phase the moon is in; and keep the exact date all the way until the year 2100. The latest Grandmaster Chime, known as the 6300A, is the only one of its kind in existence and set the world record for an amount paid for a timepiece by a mile in November. The exclusivity plays a factor in increasing that specific piece’s price, and it also helps contextualize the caliber of watch on Jay’s wrist. All of this is to say: I can’t believe Jay-Z showed Diddy up at his own 50th birthday party! Also this week: a very limited-edition Rolex Daytona and a funky-looking Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to match a funky-looking suit.
Jay-Z’s Patek Philippe 6300G
Sending out Rolex Daytonas as invites to your gala felt like an impossible-to-top watch-related stunt, but I guess this is what I get for doubting Jay-Z. It is pretty incredible to see a watch like this out in the wild—hyper-complicated, super-fine, incredibly rare, and expensive as hell. While Patek Philippe wants all of its watches to be worn, it’s likely that most of the 6300Gs are sitting secure and untouched in a safe somewhere. Hov brought his out for a birthday bash.
Mark Wahlberg’s Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Silent Release”
Earlier this year, at the massive watch trade show Baselworld, Rolex “silently” released this very special-edition Cosmograph Daytona—“silently” meaning it wasn’t shared with anyone but the VIP customers who might be interested in acquiring one. Enter Elton John, who wore this watch over the summer, and now Mark Wahlberg. While the Daytona is typically a sports watch, the pearlescent dial and orange sapphires running around the dial on this particular model make a compelling argument for this to be the thing you wear to your next awards ceremony.
Stormzy’s Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
We gave Stormzy the Big Fit of the Day for this outfit, and it had practically everything to do with his textured double-breasted suit—is it velour??—and nothing to do with his watch. Don’t get us wrong, though: the watch is a big deal, too. It’s fantastic. Stormzy, clearly, is a man who knows how to take something classic—a double-breasted jacket or the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak—and funk it up a little bit. The grime rapper’s Royal Oak is made of “frosted” gold, which looks like it's been dropped in glitter but is actually hammered in a way to make the watch catch the light at every angle.
