Welcome to Clock of the week, where we’ll be tracking the rarest, wildest, and most coveted watches spotted on celebrities.
A few weeks ago, Tyler, the Creator was spotted at the Monaco Legends Group auction — an event entirely dedicated to the sale of rare and unique Cartier products. A photo of Tyler and his Cartier Dalí-esque crash taken by Legendary collector John Goldberger zoomed around the watch world at a record speed. That image captures a guy we’ve never met before: Tyler, Creator of the Epic Watch Collection. Before the fall of 2020, the rapper is barely seen in anything but a Casio $11. Suddenly, he flies to Monaco to buy a luxury handbag from Cartier. One Monaco Legends auction attendee described Tyler as “super cool and disjointed.” They mention that Tyler steered clear of top-of-the-line shipments, opting instead for what they describe as “easy-to-use things.” We know that Tyler has gone with at least one of his “easy to understand” works: the writer Nick Gould found out Tyler at the LACMA Art + Film Gala wearing what appears to be a Cartier Obus Quadrant sold for €9,100, or just over $10,000, at auction in Monaco.
Tyler in another new Cartier
Kevin WinterThe Quadrant isn’t the only Cartier Tyler to be added to its collection recently, either. This weekend, while performing at the American Music Awards, Tyler wore an unusual looking watch with domed edges protruding from the top and bottom of the dial. Due to the quality of the photos, it’s hard to say for sure what watch Tyler is wearing, but that distinct feature provides a pretty useful clue. According to Cartier watch dealer and collector Eric Ku, shell and domed edges are indicative of a pattern known as Duoplan. Both Jaeger-LeCoultre and Cartier make “versions in a multitude of shapes and sizes,” says Ku. Adding both Duoplan and Quadrant to Tyler’s collection included The accident, Tank, and Santos-Dumont.
Tyler the Creator’s Cartier Obus Quadrant
Yes, Tyler has great taste. The Quadrant is a very unusual watch. While the numerals on most watches are inside the dial, Tyler’s watches have a wide bezel to fit them. And because Tyler almost certainly got this piece from the Monaco Legends auction we have a lot of information about it. This model may have been introduced in the late 20’s but Tyler’s watches were made around 80’s in Paris. This piece also comes with its original box and papers, which are collector’s catnip.
Daniel Dae Kim’s Patek Philippe Nautilus Watch
Today, a lot of famous people own Nautilus watches, but very few of their watches are like Kim’s. Kim showed this watch in an episode of Hodinkeeof “The Clock That Talks”And admits that he didn’t like the ordinary Nautilus more when he first started collecting. Over time, he learned to appreciate the model and made sure to trace the reference 3700, which was the first Nautilus Patek Philippe ever built. Even better: Kim’s case is engraved with its original owner’s name. As Patek is fond of saying, “You never really own a Patek Philippe, you just take care of it for the next generation.”
Blake Griffin’s Rolex GMT-Master II “Original Beer”
Griffin is struggling on the field for the Brooklyn Nets so far this season but his hardwood outfit has been terrible. (A counterpoint to the Deion Sanders axiom that when you look good, you play well.) in above mohair trend, and wore this cool watch before the Nets played in Cleveland Monday. The black and brown “Root Beer” is another GMT model inspired by soft drink machines (there are also blue and red “Pepsi” as well as red and black “Coke”). What sets Griffin’s work apart is the irresistible 18-carat rose gold used for the case and bracelet.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak by Kevin Hart
A Kevin Hart watch that never disappoints. Here, he’s wearing AP’s flagship Royal Oak model with an open-worked dial. You know what a magician would do never reveal their secret because if they did it would reveal it was all just one big stupid trick? This is like the opposite of that. AP wanted to open it all up and show off how the watch works — it just serves to make this tiny movement all the more impressive.
Hublot Spirit of Big Bang by Bradley Beal
This is purely a watch of my own accord. Beal was right to wear it with his Washington Wizards to a much hotter start to the season than anyone could have predicted. Case? ! 8 carats “King Gold”, a metal Hublot developed for a warmer tone. Strap? Oh, it’s just crocodile skin. If this is what we get after this quick start, just imagine the watches Beal would have to pull if Wiz remained in the upper half of the Eastern Conference. inside Mo’Nique’s words, “I want to see it.”
