There is no shortage of A-list stars who have bought a Rolex or two. At this point, it’s practically a rite of passage for the super-rich. But for some, collecting Rollies has become more than just a whim: almost an obsession.
John Mayer. Jay-Z. Brad Pitt. Roger Federer (who, in fact, has been a brand ambassador for a quarter of a century, but more on that later). Between these four alone, we are talking about watches ranging from a coveted “Paul Newman” Daytona to pieces you would normally only see at a Christie’s auction.
Beyond prestige, they are watches that fit with practically any plan or event: on the red carpet at the Met Gala, in the front row of a fashion show, or even when lifting your twentieth Grand Slam trophy, as Federer does.
It is no surprise, therefore, that these collectors have assembled some of the most impressive Rolex collections in the world. Let’s take a closer look at their most notable pieces and what makes each of them unique.
John Mayer: the watch geek
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Let’s start with John Mayer, one of the most respected celebrity watch collectors in the world. You only need to look at his Rolex collection to understand why. It’s not so much about flashy models or fashion references – although he has a white gold Daytona Rainbow (ref. 116599RBOW) that you can find on Chrono24 starting at 235,000 euros – but about the ones that really matter.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref 116508
Vintage “Paul Newman” Daytonas, such as the 6263 in yellow gold, the 6264 with the Panda dial and the 6240, the tricolor design also known as 3CROC. The most coveted GMT-Master: it has both the Batman, with its black and blue bezel, and the Pepsi, which changes black for red. And even the striking Smurf Submariner, with its powerful blue dial and matching bezel.
In short, it’s a carefully curated selection, filled with some of the most desirable Rolexes. It is therefore not surprising that one of the crown models is now popularly known as the “John Mayer”: the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116508 with a green sunburst dial, which he called a “sleeper hit” in a 2019 interview. A nice full circle if you take into account that his first “real” watch was a Submariner, which he bought after the success of his album Room for Squares in 2001.
Jay-Z: the great display of style
Jay-Z’s collection focuses more on showing off the rarest and most coveted Rolexes in the world; In fact, it is estimated that its value is around 6.5 million dollars (approximately 6 million euros).
Its most valuable piece is the Daytona ref. 6270 “Sultan of Oman”, a highly sought-after model from the mid-1980s, created for Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said of Oman. It’s the brand’s first gemstone Daytona and there are only eight examples (all made for the sultan and his inner circle), so it’s no surprise that its price tag is around $4 million.
Rolex Daytona ref 6270 ‘Sultan of Oman’
His exclusive investments do not stop there: he also owns a Daytona 6263 “Tiffany”, with a Paul Newman dial and the co-signed Tiffany & Co. seal, indicating that the watch was originally sold through the New York jewelry store. In addition, it has a Day-Date 40 ref. 228206, a 950 platinum model with ice blue sunburst dial and eastern Arabic numerals (originally produced for Middle Eastern markets).
In short, if it’s not limited edition or doesn’t reach a minimum value of $800,000, it’s probably not going to come anywhere close to Jay-Z’s wrist.
Brad Pitt: the king of the classics
Although Brad Pitt is certainly a Rolex fan, his collection focuses more on understated classics than ultra-rare models.
For example, it has a stainless steel Daytona ref. 16520, powered by the iconic Zenith El Primero movement, one of the first automatic column-wheel integrated chronographs. He also owns an 18k yellow gold Rolex Yacht-Master 40 ref. 16628, which she wore during a photo shoot in the late ’90s.
He also has a weakness for having a watch on the screen. The pieces he wore as the scammer Rusty Ryan in the saga Ocean’s Elevenbelieved to have been from his own collection, included a pair of discreet Rolexes. In the first film he wore a two-tone Submariner “Rolesor”, which he changed for a platinum Day-Date ref. 118366 in the sequel.
So, for a two-time Oscar winner and one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, his taste in Rolexes is quite restrained (and that’s why we like him even better).
Roger Federer: the gold standard
As a brand ambassador for over 25 years, Roger Federer has worn a Rolex in almost every public appearance since 2001, whether at post-match press conferences, at the Met Gala or even sitting in the stands at Wimbledon. And, almost always, it’s the iconic silhouettes that command respect: an Oyster Perpetual, a Day-Date or even a Wimbledon-inspired Datejust. The type of watches that any watch lover would want to have in their collection.
Rolex DateJust 41 ’Wimbledon’ ref 126333
Don’t get us wrong: he doesn’t always play it safe. His collection includes precious stone Daytonas (the “Orange” Daytona ref. 116588SACO or the sapphire-encrusted ref. 126599TSA), a deep green Oyster Perpetual 41 and even an XL Yacht-Master II, which he wore while lifting the Roland Garros trophy in 2009.
It is clear that he knows his Rolexes inside out – the OG classics speak for themselves – but he is also willing to experiment with more striking and characterful models.
date: 2026-02-15 09:12:00