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Beyoncé causes a stir every time she shares new photos on Instagram, but in her latest carousel of snapshots, it was the stunning gold watch on husband Jay-Z’s wrist that really fired up some viewers. The rapper and entrepreneur showed off an incredibly rare gold Patek Philippe 2499, a holy grail watch if ever there was one, and we found out all we could about this incredible addition to Hov’s collection.
Alex Todd, who has worked as a personal jeweler for stars such as Rihanna and Kevin Hart, shared a photo of Jay-Z’s ultra-rare watch taken by photographer Lenny S. with the caption: “Holy Grail Patek 2499/ Unique Integrated Wristband. . . it is a vintage piece. Tony Kavak, founder of Scandinavian luxury watch store Luxury Watches Stockholm, shared similar images further identifying the watch as a Patek Philippe 2499/101J, adding that the piece “has found a happy new owner, congratulations Jay-Z” .
And there’s a good reason for all the buzz. The Patek Philippe 2499 is a highly revered and extremely rare watch in the world of watch collecting. Only 349 models of the perpetual calendar chronograph have been created, all made between 1950 and 1985. When it comes to the specific iteration that Jay-Z wears, with an integrated 18k yellow gold bracelet, the watch becomes even more exceptional: Fewer than four were made, according to Antiquorum. Known for its remarkable craftsmanship, the 38 mm 2499/101 is equipped with round chronograph pushers and a concave bezel. The timepiece also sports gold “Dauphine” hands, a Breguet hairspring and moon phases.
Since Jay-Z’s specific watch is so rare, it’s unclear how much he might have paid for the watch, but other 2499s have been auctioned off for impressive amounts over the years. In 2016, Phillips’s Hong Kong Watch Auction sold a Ref. 2499 for over $2.5 million; more recently, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold a Ref. 2499 for $7.7 million last year.
Whether Jay-Z’s new watch is unique or one of four, there is no doubt that it is one of the rarest and most exceptional watches.
