The Best Jay-Z Watches of All Time: Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and More

Image via Complex Original

When: 2000s

Price: $12,800-$16,500

Before Jay-Z was known as one of hip-hop’s biggest watch connoisseurs, he was one of the biggest rising rappers out of New York City. His ascent in the rap world happened to align with the ascent of another New Yorker in a totally different industry, none other than Jacob Arabo or as many have come to know him as, Jacob the Jeweler. Early in his career, Jay-Z could frequently be seen with a Five Time Zone strapped to his wrist, the style that would become the signature offering of Jacob and Co. following its debut in 2002. According to the archival Instagram account @aintnojigga, Hov was actually the first rapper to ever wear the multicolored design. Jacob would become an integral piece of Roc-A-Fella’s status in the rap game throughout the aughts. Along with supplying their timepieces and other diamond-encrusted goods, he also was responsible for crafting their iconic Roc-A-Fella chains at the time. Hov has even shouted out the legendary jeweler on tracks like “Girl’s Best Friend” rapping, “I took you outta Jacob’s in clusters, busters they wanted to rush us, love the way you sparkle when the sun touch ya.” Eventually, Jay-Z would even begin to remix the Five Time Zone to make it uniquely his own by flooding it with diamonds.

Jacob and Jay-Z have both gone on to carve out untouchable legacies in their own right, but it can’t be overstated how important each individual was to the other during their respective come-ups. —Mike DeStefano

When: 2013

Price: $17,900-$33,900

“New watch alert, Hublot.”

“I got a Hublot, I call it Tebow, strap that bitch with a gator band.”

“I’m still the man to watch, Hublot on my left hand or not.”

No matter what Hublot lyrics come to mind first, it’s clear that Jay-Z is a big fan of the luxury Swiss watchmaker. The relationship was further solidified in 2013 when Jay-Z released his own limited edition timepieces with the brand, the Shawn Carter by Hublot collection. The style was a take on Hublot’s Classic Fusion model and released in both black ceramic and 18-k yellow gold options. The face gave a slight peak at the inner workings of the watch through a cross-like cut-out design. The back of the face was fully skeletonized and also featured Hublot and Jay-Z co-branding written around the bezel. Black crocodile leather bands completed each design. The watches officially made their retail debut in November 2013 as a part of the Barneys New York “A New York Holiday” collection that was personally curated by the rap legend. The ultra limited drop was kept to 250 black styles and 100 yellow gold. They were priced at $17,900 and $33,900, respectively. 

Speaking to the Robb Report about the collaboration in 2013, Jay-Z said, “As you can see by looking at the watch, this is something to be very proud of, it’s not just a celebrity endorsement or something you just put your name on, it’s something that is really unique to the partnership and it was done with the highest level of integrity and class.”—Mike DeStefano

When: 2019

Price: $2.2 million

For Diddy’s 50th birthday party in 2019, Jay-Z wore Patek Philippe’s Grandmaster Chime, Ref. 6300G. The watch isn’t super flashy, but it’s very expensive. And based on this picture, Jay-Z wanted everyone to know he was wearing it. Released in 2014, the Grandmaster Chime was produced for the company’s 175th anniversary. It took eight years to develop the watch, which is made of 214 components and contains 20 complications and 1,366 parts. Jay-Z is wearing the second version of the watch. The original, which is the Ref. 5175, was made with yellow-gold cases. Jay-Z’s white-gold version is a bit more subdued and two black and white dials.—Aria Hughes

When: 2019

Price: $2.5 million

For the NAACP Image Awards in 2019, Jay-Z donned a custom made Richard Mille watch that took 3,000 hours to make. Named “The Blueprint,” after his sixth album, the watch was cut and milled from solid blocks of sapphire according to celebrity jeweler Alex Todd, who also added that it’s the most expensive Richard Mille watch ever made. It’s also been reported that forming the bright blue sapphires into this shape took years of research and testing to make sure that the watch was durable and comfortable. Jay-Z has since worn it on numerous occasions including his B-Sides 2 concert at Webster Hall in April 2019.—Aria Hughes

When: 2021

Price: $200,000+

It’s been over a decade since Jay-Z released his own watches with Audemars Piguet, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t expect Hov to break out one of the valuable timepieces from time to time still. One such instance came this past June during the NBA Playoffs. He decided to pull up to support the home team when he sat courtside for a second round matchup between the Nets and Bucks at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Along with a paisley cap and pair of Pumas from one of his current-favorite brands, Rhude, Jay-Z accessorized with an 18 karat gold Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. It features a sapphire dial with moon phases and is complete with the Royal Oak’s signature exposed screws around the bezel. This particular watch retails for upwards of $200,000.—Mike DeStefano

When: 2021

Price: $3 million 

When Jay-Z pulled up to a Fourth of July party for Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, he decided that Independence Day could only be celebrated properly with $3 million on his wrist. Yes, that green watch Hova wore to the party was another one of many Richard Milles in his collection. The model he wore was a RM 56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire, a unique take on one of Richard Mille’s most iconic watch models. RM 56-01 Tourbillon Sapphire is defined by its sapphire crystal baseplate and transparent movement. According to the luxury watchmaker’s website, only five of these watches were produced. Jay-Z didn’t just get one of the five, but even customized his own to be produced in a green sapphire colorway. According to a comment given to Complex by customizer Alex Todd, the retail price for the watch was around $3 million. The only question that remains is whose expensive green watch is better? This heavy piece by Jay-Z, or Drake’s green Patek Philippe designed by Virgil Abloh?—Lei Takanashi

When: 2020

Price: Priceless

If you ask someone who knows nothing about watches to name a watch brand, chances are that “Rolex” will be what comes out of their mouth. The Swiss brand has long been a status symbol and for many it is still the pinnacle of luxury timepieces. So, it’s no surprise that Jay-Z has owned what we can assume is dozens of Rolexes throughout his career. One of the most rare is also one of the most recent that has been spotted on his wrist. Back in July 2020, the rapper sat courtside at the Staples Center in a one-of-a kind vintage Rolex. According to GQ, the watch is a Datejust that was altered by Franck Muller before he would go on to start his own eponymous watch company in 1991. The special makeup sports a gold dial, white face, and black leather band. What makes it so rare is the non-traditional features added by Muller, such as a moonphase and perpetual calendar. There’s no indication of what Jay-Z ultimately paid for the unique wrist piece, but given its exclusivity you can’t even really put a number on it. This one is priceless.—Mike DeStefano

When: 2005

Price:  $23,500-$69,500

Jay-Z is such a respected watch collector that luxury watch companies have even released collaborations with the man himself. Perhaps one of the biggest ones was his collaboration with Audemars Piguet in 2005. To celebrate his 10-year anniversary working within the music industry, Jay-Z teamed up with the Swiss watchmaker to co-design a limited edition collection of Royal Oak Offshore timepieces. “Since we met [four years ago], Jay’s bought a lot of the watches,” François-Henry Bennahmias, the chief executive officer of Audemars Piguet, told WWD at the time. “He’s known in the music world for appreciating nice things. He’s pretty low key, actually.” To officially mark the anniversary, the watchfaces of Shawn Carter’s Royal Oak Offshore pieces had a diamond encrusted numeral marking the 10th hour. The watches were 44 mm in diameter and only 100 were released. Only 50 pieces were released in steel, 30 pieces in 18-k rose gold, and 20 pieces in platinum. Each watch also featured Jay-Z’s signature on the caseback. The steel version cost $23,500 at retail, while the super limited platinum iteration cost a whopping $69,500. Each watch came with a special collector’s box that included a 40GB iPod Classic preloaded with Jay-Z’s discography. The iPod was even engraved with Hova’s signature and a quote that read: “I’m so far ahead of my time, I’m ‘bout to start another life. Look behind you, I’m ‘bout to pass you twice”—a bar from The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse single “Hovi Baby.” The collaboration took two years to come to fruition. “I’ve always been a big fan of Audemars Piguet,” Jay-Z told the New York Post. “I didn’t pitch [François-Henry Bennahmias] on it. It was something he came to me with.” According to WWD, the collaboration pulled in $4 million and $500,000 of the profits were donated to the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by Jay-Z, which provides financial assistance to aspiring college students. Today, these watches are naturally very hard to find on the resale market. One steel model was sold at a Christie’s auction in 2016 for $30,000, which was just around $7,000 more than its retail price. However, one owner is currently selling his platinum edition for $88,400, if you are a Jay-Z fan with enough coin to spend.—Lei Takanashi

When: 2012

Price: $5 million

In December 2012, for Jay-Z’s birthday, Beyoncé gifted her husband something that most of us will never even lay eyes on in real life. A $5 million Hublot Big Bang. The watch was crafted out of 18-k white gold and included 1,282 diamonds. When the watch was released in 2012, Hublot said it was one of the most precious timepieces the brand had ever made. The 44 mm diameter watch boasted an 18-k white-gold case that included 302 baguette diamonds alone. The watch dial was also made out of 18-k white gold and included 179 baguette diamonds. And yes, the 18-k white-gold bracelet was made out of 782 baguette diamonds alone. All the diamonds were grade A VVS quality and took a year to source alone. Made in collaboration with Geneva’s Atelier Bunter, it took 12 diamond cutters, five diamond setters, and 14 months of labor to construct the watch. Although there are plenty of YouTube videos that show off this icy watch, it seems that Jay has left it on ice since he’s never publicly worn it. But I mean, who would really feel comfortable walking outside with five mills just casually sitting on their wrist?—Lei Takanashi

When: 2001 

Price: $135,000

Astute Shawn Carter fans know that one of Jay-Z’s all-time favorite watches is the Richard Mille RM001. The first Richard Mille timepiece ever made, Hov was one of the very first celebrities to wear a RM001 Tourbillon, which was launched with 16 other watches at the time. The watch was released with a six-figure price tag of $135,000 and was limited to just 80 pieces when it was first released to the public. Of course, an avid watch collector like Jay was quick to hop on that and was not afraid to flex it. He was seen wearing this iconic Richard Mille watch in photo shoots for hip-hop magazines like XXL and at events like the 2002 Soul Train Music Awards. Although Richard Mille isn’t one of the world’s oldest watchmakers, it’s certainly one of the most coveted. The luxury brand’s timepieces are known for their lightweight construction and limited production runs. Since the RM001 was produced in such small quantities, the price of one today is nearly double what it was at retail. At an auction in Hong Kong recently, one of these RM001 watches sold for a whopping price of $264,519.—Lei Takanashi