When timepiece customisation turns controversial: stars like Jay-Z and Ed Sheeran spend big to make their Rolex, Richard Mille, Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet more exclusive – but how far is too far?
Some wealthy watch owners seek to lend their pieces even more exclusive identities by customising them … but does it enhance or lessen value?
Those who sport a unique watch – whether it’s pristine or pre-owned – from their favourite brand wear it with a certain sense of pride. Limited editions are typically reserved for super VIPs, or else you have to pay a big premium on top of the retail price to get your hands on such a special watch.
Celebrities often have the star power to work directly with brands to release or at least request production of an exclusive piece, often loudly expressing their personality in the process. Richard Mille has worked with hip-hop and sports personalities like Pharrell Williams and Rafael Nadal to craft custom timepieces, while Audemars Piguet collaborated with rapper and music entrepreneur Jay-Z on a Royal Oak Offshore. Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran managed to get Patek Philippe to replace the London stamp on the luxury watchmaker’s World Time 5230G model with a homage to his sleepy English hometown of Framlingham.
Maroon 5 frontman and avid Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona collector Adam Levine is someone who respects the craftsmanship of collectible pieces, and preserves their designs. He also made horology headlines last year when he had Artisans de Genève rework his gold Rolex Daytona 116508, adding lume to the entire watch dial and hollowing out the piece’s iconic trio of subdials.
It’s not just celebrities, though, who seek customisation options to express themselves, or at least try to create a piece that’s truly theirs and theirs alone. Such moves make a recently acquired “hype” watch – like a modern Rolex Daytona or Patek Philippe Nautilus – stand out from similar pieces already owned by others.
However, in certain cases, customisation takes the form of adding diamonds or other precious stones to the case of a watch – a move that brands and purists tend not to approve of. Rolex, for instance, has taken matters into its own hands, suing those who sell pre-modified versions of its watches.
In extreme cases, some watch owners decide to gem-set or customise one of their basic models to make them look like limited edition pieces. A certain rapper recently came under scrutiny for claiming he has an original full-pavé emerald watch. He was later exposed when the owner of the one-and-only reference stepped forward with images of the authentic piece.
Yet the desire for creative expression on an existing watch design remains, and is not necessarily always seen as a bad thing. Rather than modifying timepieces to resemble limited edition factory pieces, specialist customisers such as Blaken, DiW Manufacture and Bamford Watch Department, all bring a one-of-a-kind touch to familiar silhouettes.
