Photo: Instagram / Alex Todd
When you’re one of the most influential artists in showbiz, as well as a very wealthy individual, bigger isn’t always better. Only exclusivity will make the difference, Jay-Z would argue.
Jay-Z, rapper, music producer, businessman, and passionate collector of fine art and other pricey stuff, is the first owner to show off the just-released Tiffany Blue Patek Philippe Nautilus timepiece. The limited-edition watch, which will only be offered to loyal customers of both brands, was introduced a little over a week ago and marks the last-ever Nautilus Ref. 5711 to be produced after Patek Philippe announced it was retiring it in January this year. Considered the undisputed king of stainless steel sports watches, Ref. 5711 has been on the market since 2006.
In other words, as collectibles go, this is one of the most coveted. Only 170 watches will be made, one for each year Patek Philippe collaborated with Tiffany & Co, all of them sporting the dial in Tiffany blue. The first item from the limited series, which is yet to start deliveries to the select customers, was sold at an auction last weekend, fetching the record amount of $6.5 million. Trade publication Hodinkee notes that the identity of the buyer has not been made public, except for a mention that he’s a New York resident and a known collector.
In short, people believe Jay-Z, one of the biggest celebrity watch collectors in the U.S., bought the piece because it was the inaugural one and had, as such, more value. If true, this means that this week’s outing, in which he’s seen wearing a blue Nautilus Ref. 5711 is worth $6.5 million. But there is also the (smaller) possibility that Jay was offered another example, as a courtesy for being the brand ambassador, together with wife Beyonce, for Tiffany & Co.
The outing was for business reasons, with Jay-Z showing up for a private screening of The Harder They Fall movie, on which he served as producer. He took part in a panel of discussion with director Jeymes Samuel and, as the Instagram photo below shows, also posed for pictures, making sure everyone got a good look at the flashy blue timepiece on his wrist.
The photo was then posted to social media by Alex Todd, the celebrity jeweler who serves as a personal jeweler to Jay-Z, Kevin Hart, and Rihanna, among other big-time spenders with a soft spot for collectible watches and custom diamond jewelry. Todd is the same jeweler who, a couple of years ago, got Hova the custom, blue-sapphire Richard Mille that cost $2.5 million and took over 3,000 hours to customize, the one-off Blueprint.
Back to the Tiffany Blue Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711, each of the remaining 169 examples will retail for upwards of $52,000. In a recent interview, Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, made a point of stressing that Tiffany would ultimately decide where each example goes, which is bound to send prices soaring when – or if – one emerges on the pre-owned market.
In other words, as collectibles go, this is one of the most coveted. Only 170 watches will be made, one for each year Patek Philippe collaborated with Tiffany & Co, all of them sporting the dial in Tiffany blue. The first item from the limited series, which is yet to start deliveries to the select customers, was sold at an auction last weekend, fetching the record amount of $6.5 million. Trade publication Hodinkee notes that the identity of the buyer has not been made public, except for a mention that he’s a New York resident and a known collector.
In short, people believe Jay-Z, one of the biggest celebrity watch collectors in the U.S., bought the piece because it was the inaugural one and had, as such, more value. If true, this means that this week’s outing, in which he’s seen wearing a blue Nautilus Ref. 5711 is worth $6.5 million. But there is also the (smaller) possibility that Jay was offered another example, as a courtesy for being the brand ambassador, together with wife Beyonce, for Tiffany & Co.
The outing was for business reasons, with Jay-Z showing up for a private screening of The Harder They Fall movie, on which he served as producer. He took part in a panel of discussion with director Jeymes Samuel and, as the Instagram photo below shows, also posed for pictures, making sure everyone got a good look at the flashy blue timepiece on his wrist.
The photo was then posted to social media by Alex Todd, the celebrity jeweler who serves as a personal jeweler to Jay-Z, Kevin Hart, and Rihanna, among other big-time spenders with a soft spot for collectible watches and custom diamond jewelry. Todd is the same jeweler who, a couple of years ago, got Hova the custom, blue-sapphire Richard Mille that cost $2.5 million and took over 3,000 hours to customize, the one-off Blueprint.
Back to the Tiffany Blue Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711, each of the remaining 169 examples will retail for upwards of $52,000. In a recent interview, Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, made a point of stressing that Tiffany would ultimately decide where each example goes, which is bound to send prices soaring when – or if – one emerges on the pre-owned market.
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