Picture a crowded auction room in New York City, buzzing with excitement, as over 700 bidders from 43 countries gather, all staring at the stage or placing bids on their phones during a 12-minute bidding war, all for one object: a wristwatch. This was in October 2017, when Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona, which had been purchased for $300 decades prior, sold for a staggering $17.8 million at auction, establishing a world record for a watch sold at auction. This was not merely a watch; it was an artefact, a heritage object that had stood the test of time, spanning all dimensions of nostalgia, encompassing an actor, a racer, and a philanthropist, embodying the eternality of the motorsport spirit and Hollywood glamour.

This moment unveiled a hidden world where wristwatches are not just an accessory, but an art form, an element of culture, and an investment that can rival the value of a recognised art gallery. Behind the velvet ropes of the private vaults of collectors, people whose names you know—celebrities, royals, and sports legends—are collections worth billions that are hidden from the general public, yet are responsible for creating an entire culture of horological reverence and prestige. These are museums of time, each tick of the movement understanding a stroke of history, taste, and distinction.

What drives this undisturbed devotion? What continues to self-perpetuate the stories and the economics around these glimmering treasures? Let's explore the lives of horological royalty, examining their prestige, collections, and the relationship between time as a reminiscence, a symbol of wealth, a means of wearing status, and an investment.

The Watch as Art: Craft, Storytelling, and Scarcity
Watches have advanced well beyond their intended purpose of tracking time. In haute horology, a watch is a work of art on the wrist. Similar to fine art, a luxury watch is about rarity, story, and provenance. A rare piece of Patek Philippe or an atypically special Rolex is a similar feat of craftsmanship as a Picasso, but with the additional aspect of mechanical wizardry or sophisticated elegance that can be worn.

Rarity is primary. Consider the “Paul Newman” Daytona, an estate auction piece that became legendary, not solely for its past ownership, but also for its rarity: the quantity produced was relatively few compared to a regular production run for a Rolex. Other uniquely valuable attributes include an exotic dial, previous ownership by a beloved actor-racer, and a personal engraving from his wife. The timepiece was cemented in both horology and cultural history.

Watch collectors, like Jay-Z, refer to watches as “wearable art.” For him, watches are “status and craft rolled up together,” representing tangible markers of success and sophistication with stories that extend past one generation. John Mayer, respected not only as a musician but also as a watch collector, has described his collection as “a wonderland,” with watches serving as both compositions and works of art. He referred to some Rolexes in his collection as “sleeper hits”, demonstrating how watch collecting is about unearthing watches and appreciating the nuanced craftsmanship above all else.

When an individual possesses a watch, they have declared their own personal provenance, an interweaving of the owner's story with the story of the watch, adding different layers of meaning. Just as artworks gather value or importance from being seen and their provenance, watches accrue value with an official or anecdotal history of the watch, whether that be due to provenance as a unique item or a symbol of social status. The personal recollection of the watch can create a cultural cachet that even surpasses the importance of visual art in terms of the value of emotion or money attached to it.

The Icons and Their Collections: Mini-Profiles of Time’s Royalty

Paul Newman: The Daytona Myth
Paul Newman did not just wear his Rolex Daytona; he made it a legend. His wife, Joanne Woodward, gifted it to him in the late 1960s as a gesture of good luck in his racing pursuits. The reference 6239 model he received had the rare, exotic dial later dubbed the "Paul Newman" dial. The chronograph was utterly utilitarian on race days, but over time, the watch became legendary and is prized by collectors worldwide. The hammer price for the watch at auction broke records, proving the cultural and financial value associated with provenance through celebrity ownership. The Paul Newman Daytona is now the epitome of Hollywood, motorsport, and horological rarity while canonising its owner into folklore.

John Mayer: The Collector’s Collector
John Mayer's watch collection is often referred to as a dream trove, whether one considers the collection to include labels as prestigious as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and so forth. His knowledge and passion for this world have greatly influenced watch culture, culminating in the Rolex Daytona 116508 being referred to by enthusiasts as the "John Mayer Daytona," as he is known for wearing this model. Mayer's approach to watches combines knowledge and passion — his interest in intricately complicated timepieces, as well as scarce limited editions, influences the market and significantly stimulates human cognition.

For example, his Rainbow Daytona, which is set with sapphires, represents the intersection between watch artistry and engineering. Mayer appreciates the narratives behind the pieces he acquires, which highlights how storytelling and personal identity as a collector can be closely linked.

Jay-Z: The Connoisseur With Flash
Jay-Z exemplifies the merger of street-smart ostentation and sophisticated connoisseurship with his multi-million-dollar collection of timepieces, including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille—all exclusive, technically sophisticated brands. His cultural power is such that it spurs demand in the market if Jay-Z competitively wears any right-sided piece. Notably, he owns a Patek Philippe Grand Complication 5304-301R, valued at nearly $925,000, which represents both wealth and legacy.

Most famously, he was gifted a Hublot Big Bang embellished with 1,282 baguette-cut diamonds from Beyoncé. The iconic timepiece signifies luxury like no other, in both musical and horological circles alike. The Hublot captures the artistry of jewellery-making in the horological space and demonstrates a power of status.

Vaults Beyond Imagination: Saudi Princes & Middle Eastern Royalty
Middle Eastern royalty (especially Saudi princes) are historically noteworthy in horology, with collections to rival or even surpass some of the most renowned art galleries. In palace vaults, hundreds of the world’s most rare timepieces lie, many unworn but bought as creators of legacy, wealth, and diplomatic status. For example, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is known to own the ultra-exclusive Richard Mille RM 056 Felipe Massa, a technical complication featuring a sapphire crystal that is so exclusive that only five have ever been made. These types of pieces reflect the melding of technical innovation and audacious design valued by the aristocracy of the region.

These collections often include one-of-a-kind models from Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Rolex that were regularly commissioned or specially customised for a royal aesthetic. In Western collecting, watch enthusiasts tend to wear and/or display their watches; in Saudi and Middle Eastern culture, prestige, investment, and gifting become the focus of enjoyment and appeal as the watch itself is merely an asset to enjoy, earmark as a family heirloom, or perhaps a royal display regarding an alliance or milestone. Their secrecy enhances the value of some royal collections; estimates have placed the value of some royal collections into the billions, tucked away behind fortified doors in palaces or private banks. Every asset, whether worn to a state function or drafted and passed down to the next generation, becomes a part of the story of a luxury, horological legacy; the sajusteir empire is impressively formed.

Indian Angle: Bollywood and Cricket’s Watch Kings
Among India's elite, the collection of luxury timepieces has evolved into a formidable symbol of success, style, and tradition, spearheaded by the likes of Bollywood and sporting icons. Enter Shah Rukh Khan and his horological pursuits: his remarkable collection — which he has built of timepieces valued in excess of ₹40 crore — signals a consistent commitment to horological greatness; a notable example is his Patek Philippe Grand Complications, worn and revealed at the 2025 Met Gala, whilst valued at ₹21 crore. Crafted from 18k white gold, featuring emeralds and diamonds, the grand complexity of this two-sided timepiece truly exemplifies SRK's eye for the rare and exceptional design in a watch.

However, SRK's collection doesn't end there; he owns the lovely blue ceramic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, a classic Patek Philippe piece, various Roger Dubuis timepieces, and stylish, contemporary pieces from Bulgari, with each piece confirming his sense of bold elegance.

Other celebrities, such as Ranbir Kapoor and MS Dhoni, are also passionate about watches. Kapoor's taste runs towards vintage Rolexes and Patek Philippes. At the same time, Dhoni enjoys their mechanical complexity, with each piece being its own unique story in a journey from cinema and cricket to international celebrity status. In India, these watches transcend luxury; they become symbols of personal narratives—markers in a journey filled with ambition and drama. This unique culture of Bollywood elevates every rare timepiece into a legendary tale, and the person or story behind the watch becomes synonymous with Indian stardom.

Legendary Tales That Transcend Time
Certain watches rise above their functional reality and become legends in their own right; they have a story. They are interesting personally, rare, and some are even funny - in short, they have a personality.

Paul Newman Daytona: In addition to its excellent auction prices, its personal inscription, “Drive Safely Me,” and its association with Paul Newman, both as an actor and a racer, created a mythical story that connected motorsport history to Hollywood glamour.

Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication: Often described as the world’s most complicated mechanical watch from the pre-Digital Era, this watch sold for $24 million at auction. Not only does it reflect technical prowess, but it also represents the awe-inspiring story of its provenance as a bespoke luxury timepiece to a legendary Wall Street tycoon.

Jay-Z’s Hublot Big Bang with 1,282 Diamonds: An extravagant display, although a timepiece in essence, it is a testament to the brilliance of carnivalesque fashion, marrying high jewellery to horology, with its unique moment in pop culture as it relates to a hip-hop icon.

John Mayer’s 6263 Daytona “Big Red”: Infamously rare, John Mayer’s watch is the single most sought-after split-second hand, coveted for its “Daytona” script rendered in capital alternating red lettering. It represents the pinnacle of Rolex collector desire, especially with John Mayer’s legendary status further adding to the mystique.

Rare Sightings of SRK Watches: The timepieces that adorn Shah Rukh Khan's wrists in movies and advertisements, especially when they are limited editions, illustrate his cultural significance. Although none of these timepieces are one-offs themselves, their appearance and scarcity have created a growing importance and slow-burning cult fandom/market.

The Economics of Time: Investments Beyond Comparison
Unexpectedly, watches have proven to be great investments. Compared to stocks, gold, or classic art, certain watches can outperform them over the long term. When combining financial return and personal value, watches are the most fun. The auction reports offer recurring surprises, such as Paul Newman Daytona models breaking records, and Patek Philippe stainless steel versions growing in value exponentially.

This is a result of a secretive grey market for rare pieces, where buyers resell them at a premium on top of the retail price. This limits the supply, which in turn holds up demand and pricing. Watches are physical and portable assets that carry history and branding, which intrigue collectors who want a meaningful legacy in heirlooms and financial prosperity through investing.

Auction houses such as Phillips and Christie’s have served as a stage for a new institutionalised watch market, resetting the standard for cost and revealing how watch collecting is evolving into a wise investment with real stakes.

The Psychology of Collecting: Wearing and Owning History
What is it about collecting watches that consumes people? Some cite heritage, prestige, masculinity, and social capital as reasons for their support. The act of wearing a watch symbolises the notion of "wearing history," especially when someone sees a celebrity wearing a unique piece; suddenly, there is a sense of connection to an evolution of sophistication in thinking about our own cultural identities. More concretely, the idea of "owning history" — owning literal watches with provenance—adds a compelling narrative to collectors who invest both their emotional energy and their money in watches.

The celebrity value also plays a role in this psychology. When someone popular, such as Shah Rukh Khan or Jay-Z, is seen wearing a watch on the internet, ten years after a mechanical mess of time-telling and craftsmanship is transformed into a piece of content, the market often responds quickly by increasing demand, resulting in a grossly inflated value. Watches function as adornment but also as vehicles for storytelling, the construction of identities, and the signalling of power.

Ultimately, collecting watches is as much an emotional adventure as a financial one, and buying and owning watches symbolically represents immortality figuratively created by the mechanical pulse of time.

The Takeaway
Across the globe, inside secure vaults, behind doors that even the most powerful cannot open, lie billions of dollars' worth of collections —museums of time that are unlikely to be visited by the public. Each watch, featuring exquisite craftsmanship and meaningful narratives about time, is much more than simply minutes and seconds; it is a legacy, a human endeavour, and a status symbol reduced to its most fundamental level.

These watches craft global culture, guide markets, and encapsulate luxury at an individual level. They show us that time is not only measured, it is cherished, and with these collectors, time goes beyond its transient characteristic towards immortality.