Get ready to get noisy. Today’s spotlight is on the most famous English bluesman in history, the greatest musician, Eric Clapton’s watches. England-born Eric Patrick Clapton was born on our planet in 1945. When he turned thirteen, he said that he wanted an acoustic guitar because of his long-time musical heroes from abroad. Eric Clapton stands out as a genuinely exceptional person. He has developed into a recognized hitmaker and the best guitarist over the course of a spectacular career that spans several decades. Eric Clapton made history by being the first performer to be honored with three different inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Even if you don’t prefer blues, we assure you that you will be captivated.
Apart from his deep connection to music, he possesses an impressive affinity for collecting timepieces, showcasing a refined taste akin to that of a private collector. Alongside his beloved Fender guitar, he proudly displays an exquisite assortment of attractive watches, ranging from contemporary masterpieces to exceedingly rare vintage watches and prototype models.
Witness awe-inspiring masterpieces showcasing the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe, encompassing distinctive creations, prototypes, and personalized requests. Navigating through Eric Clapton’s vast collection is undoubtedly a challenging endeavor. Let us honor this musical legend and present to you the ultimate Eric Clapton watch collection.
Guitar Legends and Timepieces: Exploring Eric Clapton’s Watch Collection
1. Rolex GMT-Master II Green Hand
Eric Clapton possesses the most flexible contemporary GMT watch ever created by Rolex. The Rolex GMT-Master II ref 116710 showcases a stainless steel case accompanied by a GMT bezel made of black ceramic, perfectly complemented by a matching dial. Among the Rolex GMT-Master series, this model stands as the final edition to present a monochromatic bezel insert. Although it was discontinued in 2018, it remains highly coveted by enthusiasts.
- Released year: 2005
- Case size: 40 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Strap: Steel
- Price: $64,000
2. Rolex Milgauss
We recently saw legendary guitarist Slowhand wearing a Rolex Milgauss 116400GV while on stage. The Rolex Milgauss, with its steel body, slim bezel, and straightforward dial showing only the time, is sometimes overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. A protective ferromagnetic barrier surrounding the movement in its interior protects it from magnetic fields as powerful as 1,000 gauss. This particular model stands out for its vivid green crystal, eye-catching orange thunderbolt hands, and distinctive green index markers that give it a special touch.
- Released year: 1956
- Case size: 40 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Strap: Steel
- Price: $15,000
3. Rolex Submariner ‘Red’
Eric has a particular liking for rare vintage masterpieces when talking about the Submariner. His choice is the highly sought-after Rolex crimson Submariner ref. 1680, which can be identified by the dial’s crimson lettering bearing the Submariner moniker. This distinctive feature, which was unique to the 1680 series of Rolex Submariners and was only present for a short time, added to the appeal of this specific model. Rolex Submariner is one of the classic Rolex watches and a must-have for many watch Collectors. Besides Eric Clapton, the watch is also in the collection of Tom Hardy, Jack Black, Mark Wahlberg and Tom Holland.
- Released year: 1967 – 1975
- Case size: 40 mm
- Water resistance: 20 ATM
- Strap: Steel
- Price: $30,000 appx.
4. Rolex Daytona Paul Newman
Eric Clapton owns a sizable collection of Rolex Daytona timepieces, which includes the contemporary Paul Newman Daytona, and he has even sold some of them at auction. The tricolour dial on this specific model, which pays homage to the well-known actor and racer, gives a distinctive touch. The attractive watch, which is made entirely of solid 18k yellow gold, stands out for its exquisite colors and high-end features like the tachymeter bezel and band. To capture the spirit of Paul Newman, Eric Clapton also wears a black leather fat strap, just like the one favored by the actor himself.
- Case size: 37 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Strap: yellow gold
- Price: $250,000
5. Rolex Yacht-Master Daytona
The Rolex Yacht-Master Daytona, an extremely rare prototype that was never made accessible to the general public, was formerly owned by Eric. Rolex experimented with the marine idea in the 1960s and early 1970s, but it took them until the 1990s to release the Rolex Yachtmaster on the market. Only three examples of this Rolex Yachtmaster prototype are now known. Eric decided to sell his watch in 2003, with the revenues going to his Crossroads foundation’s humanitarian causes.
- Case size: 40 mm
- Strap: Steel
- Price: $12,550 appx
6. Rolex Daytona Albino
Eric accomplished a spectacular feat in 2003 when he sold his Rolex “Albino” Daytona and broke auction records. This specific model, the reference 6263, was the only known instance of its kind at the time and had a distinctive pure silver monochrome dial. The timepiece brought in an outstanding price of $505,000 at Sotheby’s New York, considered a crucial turning point in the burgeoning vintage Rolex Daytona market.
- Case size: 42 mm
- Water resistance: Yes
- Strap: Steel
- Price: $505,000 at an auction
7. Rolex Submariner Explorer Dial
Eric doesn’t keep every watch he owns despite having a personal collection. He has successfully auctioned off his guitars, automobiles and watches to raise money for good causes. He is known as a prolific charitable auctioneer. One of his famous auction lots in 2003 was a Rolex Submariner ref. 5513 with a distinctive Explorer dial. It’s important to note that 1960s Submariners were uncommon to have the 3-6-9 Arabic numerals on the dial, which are frequently found on Explorer versions. As a result, this specific watch stands out as one of Rolex’s rarest and most outstanding sports watches.
- Released year: 1953
- Case size: 40 mm
- Water resistance: 20 ATM
- Strap: Steel
- Price: $77,500 appx
8. Rolex Turnograph ref 6202
In 2021, an auction organized by Christie’s showcased Eric Clapton’s watch collection, including his valuable timepiece known as the Rolex Turnograph ref 6202 that features a black dial. This particular black dial watch holds significant historical significance as it represents the inaugural model of the Rolex Turnograph, which ultimately paved the way for the development of Rolex’s renowned tool watches incorporating rotating bezels.
- Released year: 1953
- Case size: 36 mm
- Water resistance: yes
- Strap: steel
- Price: $1,04,000
9. Rolex Oyster Chronograph ref 6034
In the distant year of 2014, Eric decided to put up a highly exceptional ref 6034 Rolex Oyster Chronograph for auction, facilitated by the Berlin-based auction house Auctionata. This particular timepiece hails from the 1950s and boasts a remarkable construction of pure 18k rose gold. Serving as a precursor to the iconic Daytona series, this Rolex chronograph exhibits a silver dial adorned with telemeter and tachymeter scales encircling it. It also showcases three intricately engraved sub-dials, each serving as constant seconds, 30-minute, and 12-hour registers.
- Released year: 1950
- Case size: 36 mm
- Water resistance: yes
- Strap: Leather
- Price: $41,893
10. Rolex Day-Date Platinum
Eric also has multiple Rolex Day-Date watches, which are the brand’s flagship models. The Day-Date has established a reputation as the preferred timepiece of presidents, leaders, and diplomats due to its exclusivity in 18-carat gold or platinum. He enjoys wearing his platinum Rolex Day-Date, which features a glacier blue dial or Tiffany stamped dial, on stage. Logan Paul and Elen Degeneres are among the owners of this classic timepiece.
- Case size: 40×48 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Strap: Platinum
- Price: USD 11,650
11. Rolex Day-Date Everose and Yellow Gold
Eric recently put two of his Rolex Day-Date timepieces up for auction, showcasing an Everose gold model and a yellow gold one. What distinguishes these watches is the unique choice of Oyster bracelets instead of the typical President bracelet, adding a sporty touch to their overall appeal.
- Released year: 2005
- Case size: 40 mm
- Water resistance: 10 ATM
- Strap: Everose gold and yellow
- Price: $12,550
Eric Clapton’s Patek Philippe watch collections
12. Patek Philippe ref 5970
The exclusive Patek Philippe ref. 5970, a unique timepiece customized with breguet numerals to Eric Clapton’s requests and created by the brand. It is consistently present in 25% of our discussions.
- Released year: 2004
- Case size: 40 mm
- Water resistance: Yes
- Strap: leather
- Price: $2,34,950
13. Patek Philippe ref. 5975
A Patek Philippe ref. 5975 is the first one we notice. One of the few “multi-scale” Chronos we’ve talked about here, it also has one of the oddest aesthetics. After selling a portion of his collection in 2003, musician Eric Clapton put his watch up for sale for $93,400.
- Case size: 40 mm
- Strap: Crocodile leather
- Price: $93,400
14. Patek Philippe ref. 3970 Yellow Gold
A rare and unique timepiece belonging to Eric Clapton is the Patek Philippe ref. 3970 in white gold, featuring a distinctive salmon-coloured dial. The genuine watch, shown below, was recently auctioned by Phillips for a staggering amount of 410,000€. On the very same day, another Patek Philippe Ref. 3970, this time in yellow gold with a white dial, was also purchased, potentially being the watch captured in the photograph of Clapton.
- Released year: 1986
- Case size: 40 mm
- Strap: Crocodile leather
- Price: $70,000-$200,000 appx.
15. Patek Philippe Ref. 5004
Next on this list, we have the Patek Philippe Ref. 5004. In a recent auction, two of these extraordinary clocks were sold; the blue model brought in a total of 806,400 euros, while the black model watch sold for about 403,000 euros. Besides Eric Clapton, the watch is also adorned on the wrists of John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Conor McGregor and Brad Pitt.
- Released year: 1996
- Case size: 37 mm
- Water resistance: 3 atm
- Strap: Leather
- Price: $308,000
16. Platinum Patek Philippe Ref. 2499
The only watch of its sort in the entire world is the platinum Patek Philippe Ref. 2499. Notably, Eric Clapton was the owner of this perpetual calendar Chronograph with moon phases. This extraordinary perpetual calendar Chronograph was sold at auction by Christie’s in 2012 for an astounding sum of about 3.5 million CHF. Given its extraordinary worth at the time, one can only speculate on the enormous price it may fetch today. We fervently hope this extraordinary horological jewel perpetual calendar Chronograph will go up for sale soon.
- Released year: 1951
- Case size: 37.6 mm
- Strap: Leather
- Price: $2,700,000 to $4,200,000
What Watches Eric Clapton Own?
The famous guitarist and musician Eric Clapton’s current net worth is estimated at 470 million dollars. In his solo career, he sold out more than 280 million records worldwide. However, it’s hard to tell the total worth of his watch collection. His most expensive watch, Rolex Daytona can be fetched for 1.6 million dollars at an auction. Let us list all his collections mentioned above.
- Rolex GMT-Master II Green Hand
- Rolex Milgauss
- Rolex Submariner ‘Red’
- Rolex Daytona Paul Newman
- Rolex Yacht-Master Daytona
- Rolex Daytona Albino
- Rolex Submariner Explorer Dial
- Rolex Turnograph ref 6202
- Rolex Oyster Chronograph ref 6034
- Rolex Day-Date Platinum
- Rolex Day-Date Everose and Yellow Gold
- Patek Philippe ref 5970
- Patek Philippe ref. 5975
- Patek Philippe ref. 3970
- Patek Philippe Ref. 3970 yellow gold
- Patek Philippe Ref. 5004
- Platinum Patek Philippe Ref. 2499
From Writer:
To sum up everything so far, all his watches don’t have much difference. In fact, they all share one similarity, complexity. Guess every good watch collector loves complex timepieces. From Rolex to Patek Philippe, his watches go beyond any conventional watches. Unfortunately, not all his watches can be listed in this article, as many of his watches are not lost to time. However, as one’s collection goes, Eric Clapton’s collection is top-class.
