This weekend in the Bronx, Jay-Z performed a trio of shows at Yankee Stadium that retraced his full journey to greatness. The party started on Friday night with a performance that celebrated his 1996 debut studio album Reasonable Doubt. That record laid the foundation for one of the most legendary runs in hip-hop history—and during his performance on Friday, Hov wore a watch on his wrist that represented the fruits of that early groundwork.
During our interview with Jay for GQ’s April cover story, the mega-collector made his approach to timepieces clear: “I wear my watches,” he said. “They’re to be enjoyed, not to be looked at.” And what watch do you wear as a tribute to the hard work you put in over a three-decade career? Well, a Rolex known as “The King” would certainly put a fine point on the rapper’s ascension to the highest of heights.
The Rolex Daytona ref. 6270 is a testament to the Crown’s ability to make a watch as luxurious as any brand out there. The watch is famously known as one of the priciest watches Rolex has ever made, and it wears that title right on its face. This version of the iconic racing watch is set with 28 baguette-cut diamonds around the bezel and countless more on its dial. The watch was made as a commission for the Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman in the 1980s, and its value stems as much from its rarity as its sheer volume of precious stones. There are only eight known examples of this piece; the most recent to come to auction sold for $5.2 million last October.
Put in conversation with Reasonable Doubt, this particular Rolex sends an especially resonant message. Hov’s love for watches stems in part from their ability to instantly communicate his belonging in even the most exclusive settings. “Just that feeling in that moment where it put everybody on an equal playing field,” he told us back in April, in reference to a watch that once earned him the begrudging respect of some hoity-toity onlookers. “That began the experience, and then I fell in love with the craftsmanship.” On Reasonable Doubt, Jay makes constant references to clothes, jewelry, cars, and watches to assert his status. The watch he wore to perform the album on Friday night was an incontrovertible symbol of just how far it’s taken him.