I know, I know. You’re sick of Tom Brady and his embarrassment of top-tier watches. But show us another athlete, musician, or actor recently who’s bringing this level of consistent horological heat to the fore, and we’ll happily focus on that person. Truth be told? No one can currently compete with the GOAT! From complicated wares designed by high-end independents to extra-special variants of otherwise common watches that the rest of us rarely get to lay eyes on, this super-collector seems to own it all.
To wit: Brady was honored in a ceremony at halftime during last Sunday’s Patriots vs. Eagles game with a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6241 “John Player Special” in yellow gold on his wrist. Named thusly for its color scheme’s resemblance to that of the Lotus F1 car sponsored by John Player cigarettes, it’s one of those rare-on-rare-on-rare timepieces that turns watch guys’ brains to mush. (Another example hammered for 2,238,000 Swiss francs earlier this year.)
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Indeed, even with the greater vintage watch market softening somewhat over the past year, this particular watch just seems to get hotter and hotter. Of the 3,000 or so ref. 6241s produced in the mid-1960s, roughly 300-400 were made in gold, and just a few of these got the coveted “JPS” black dial. (These dials used the same typeface seen on the “exotic” variants, produced by Singer, that featured in “Paul Newman” Daytonas.) Adding to Brady’s flex was a matching, yellow gold Jubilee bracelet that simply looks incredible, turning an already-rare watch head into a killer complete package.
In the past six weeks alone we’ve seen Brady rocking a crazy-cool Richard Mille RM 012; a buzzy Rolex Day-Date 36 “Puzzle; and a beautiful Arabic-dial Day-Date. Just the tip of the QB’s collection, these watches represent top-tier products from some of the world’s best brands. Many collectors aren’t even aware that certain of them exist, as they’re non-catalog, market-specific, or restricted references that are extremely difficult to come by. Frankly, we can’t wait to see what other gems are hiding up this champion’s sleeve.
Ed Sheeran’s Blancpain x Swatch Scuba Fifty Fathoms
By far the coolest watch sighting of the week had less to do with the actual watch and more to do with the setting: Ed Sheeran crashed a Vegas wedding at the Little White Chapel and serenaded a stunned couple accompanied by several talented backup singers. On his wrist was the new Blancpain X Swatch BIOCERAMIC Scuba Fifty Fathoms, a $400 collab watch (and sequel to the MoonSwatch) that’s taking the horological world by storm. Sheeran opted for the blue “Atlantic Ocean” variant, which is currently fetching the highest resale prices among the vibey five-piece collection on StockX. The pop sensation clearly made the couple’s day—all the cooler that he did it with an awesome, affordable watch on.
Kyle Walker’s Patek Philippe ref. 5930P
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Manchester City
English soccer star Kyle Walker inked a new contract with Manchester City while sporting quite the wrist candy—a Patek Philippe ref. 5930P-001. Wildly complicated, this platinum-cased, six-figure banger of a watch is most definitely not entry-level fare: Its hand-guillochéed green dial with matching green printing features a flyback chronograph (which doesn’t need to be stopped and reset before being restarted), plus a 24-city world timer with day/night indicator. Powered by the in-house Patek Philippe Calibre CH 28‑520 HU movement, it’s “serious watch guy” stuff. Now that Walker’s just put pen to paper on a lucrative two-year extension, we can’t wait to see what he cops next.
Coco Gauff’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual
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After winning the women’s singles title at the US Open, 19-year-old Coco Gauff slipped on an awesome Rolex Oyster Perpetual with a “red grape” dial. As a Rolex testimonee, Gauff surely has a choice of excellent watches from which to pick, but the OP gets a nod from us for its practical features: available in several sizes, it’s a steel-cased tool with a chronometer-certified movement, a highly legible dial, a matching Oyster bracelet, and handsome looks that stem from a no-frills design remit. For a top-tier athlete, it’s a humble choice, as far as Rolexes go.
Stormzy’s Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar
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UK grime king Stormzy rocked a most excellent Patek at Vogue World in London this week, the Nautilus ref. 5740G. While the time-only Nautilus is already one of the hottest watches in the world, a perpetual calendar-equipped version is a next-level flex. This one, a current catalog model, is housed in a 40mm white gold case and features a gorgeous blue sunburst dial. Powered by an automatic, in-house movement from Patek, it’s not an ostentatious watch, but it’s one that’ll get the nod of approval from both deep horology nerds as well as casual fans.