Back in 2014, former AC/DC manager Michael Browning published a book called Dog Eat Dog, detailing the five years he spent from 1974 taking the band from raw, young outsiders to stadium fillers. In those early days, he had two pieces of advice – don’t wear a watch and never take public transport.
In an interview with Daily Mail Australia for the book’s launch he explained his anti-watch stance. “I always felt whenever I saw someone I really liked as a rock star like Jimi Hendrix or Mick Jagger, they didn’t wear a watch. In fact, whenever I saw a rock star wearing a watch, psychologically it made me think they’re as constrained about time as I am, it didn’t sit well with the image. So, I made sure [AC/DC] never wore watches, that was one of my rules.”
Browning would certainly have something to say about today’s musicians, who not only regularly take to the stage wearing a watch, but who also have collections that generate column inches from awe-struck watch enthusiasts. There’s Ed Sheeran, whose collection is worth a reported $8m (£6.3m), and spans everything from a £207 Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch to the Richard Mille RM 38-01 “Bubba Watson” Tourbillon, which is for sale on Chrono24 for the bargain price of £2,026,015.
Jay-Z has amassed a fair number of showstoppers throughout his career. In 2021, he was the first person spotted wearing the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 with the Tiffany blue dial, which was made in collaboration with the iconic New York jeweller. He also has a selection of Richard Mille’s, most of which are priced over £1m; a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, the most complicated watch in the brand’s arsenal; and a custom Hublot Big Bang, gifted to him by Beyonce in 2012. At the time, it was reportedly worth $5m and is set with 1,282 diamonds, including more than 100 carats of baguette-cut stones, and took 40 months to make. And you need only type “John Mayer” into Hodinkee’s search bar to see how many times he pops up to talk about how many watches he owns.
All these examples might make this relationship seem like a new phenomenon, and while the scale at which these people collect is new, musicians taking an interest in timepieces isn’t. Miles Davis had a Breitling Navitimer and was also photographed in a yellow gold Rolex DayDate. Chet Baker wore a Cartier Tank, Duke Ellington also had Tank but his was a rather interesting jump hour called a Tank à Guichet, as well as owning Patek Philippe Ref. 1563 Split Seconds chronograph.
Elvis Presley made the Hamilton Ventura famous by wearing his own model on the set of Blue Hawaii and John Lennon’s Patek Philippe 2499 is legendary because no one knew where it was until recently. The issue of its ownership is now the subject of an ongoing lawsuit, whose verdict is currently in the hands of the Tribunal Fédéral, Switzerland’s Supreme Court. There should be a ruling soon on whether it belongs to Yoko Ono or an undisclosed man, known only as Mr A, who says he legally bought the watch in 2014.
“I would say that the passion for watch collecting among some musicians can be attributed to several key factors, which go beyond mere financial capacity or the desire to own luxury items,” says Raymond Weil boss, Elie Bernheim. Raymond Weil as a brand regularly collaborates with musicians or their estates to create limited editions (including a Freelancer AC/DC edition).
“Musicians, by their very nature, have a profound appreciation for art and craftsmanship. The intricate design, precise engineering, and the history behind each timepiece resonate with their own pursuit of perfection in music. Both music and watchmaking involve a deep understanding of timing, precision, and creativity.”
One thing that stands out is that many of the musicians who collect watches are men. Rihanna is one artist with a serious list of timepieces to her name. She famously approached Jacob & Co to make her a watch choker in 2023 ahead of the Louis Vuitton show, ending up with a Brilliant Flying Tourbillon fitted with a bespoke black leather strap worn around her neck. She also wore a Jacob & Co Brilliant Northern Lights in red for the Superbowl the same year. In the past she has also sported Cartier, Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Chopard. Alicia Keys apparently has a couple of Piagets and a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, but by and large, women, both in music and in real life, don’t collect on the same scale as men.
This is partly because watches are among the few signifiers outside of clothing that men have. Women have many ways to show who they are and how much they earn – bags, shoes, jewellery. Men have watches. The brands they choose says a lot about them. You can’t argue that people looked at Sheeran differently when he appeared on stage wearing a Patek Philippe. Not such a scruff now.
Another part of the appeal of collecting, according to psychologists, is about acquiring knowledge rather than just ‘things’. To a person buying their first watch, the language and jargon can be confusing. But learning the difference between a chronometer and a chronograph, or how a co-axial works, can be as seductive as buying the watch itself. Just read what Sheeran said in an op-ed for Hodinkee back in 2019: “I knew nothing about Patek, but soon found myself in a rabbit hole of the internet, finding out more and more about them. And then I met John Mayer – who steered me this way and that in collecting, educating me on all things horology. He told me about vintage stuff, about things with a Tiffany stamp, brand history, pieces uniques. The list goes on.”
Bernheim put a romantic spin on all this: “Musicians express themselves through their music, and they also use watches as a form of personal expression,” he says. “A carefully chosen timepiece can reflect a musician’s personality, style, and even their journey. Each watch tells a story, much like each piece of music they create. Watches are sentimental objects that mark significant milestones in musicians’ lives as well. Whether it’s a watch acquired to celebrate a successful album release, or a gift received to commemorate a personal achievement, these timepieces carry emotional weight.”
In other words, musicians buy watches in the same way most of us do, they just have the readies to buy more. Unless you’re AC/DC, of course.