Jay-Z spotted wearing Patek Philippe watch with an eye-catching price tag and even more interesting story behind it

Jay-Z being spotted with a Patek Philippe normally isn’t headline news.

But this particular Patek Philippe is more than newsworthy.

The iconic rapper and media mogul was spotted wearing it at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

And it comes with an eye-catching price tag, as well as an even more interesting story behind it.

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Jay-Z and Beyonce steal the show in Las Vegas

Jay-Z and Beyonce recently stole the headlines in Las Vegas.

But they stole the headlines for very different reasons.

Beyonce herself wowed the masses by showing up to Las Vegas in an F1-inspired jumpsuit.

The white outfit, emblazoned with the Ferrari logo, quickly went viral.

She took a tour of the street circuit with Scuderia Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton.

Beyonce’s husband – Grammy-winning rapper Jay-Z – was slightly more understated.

But it was Jay-Z’s wrist that quickly started garnering attention.

The fact that it was a Patek Philippe was not a shock to anybody.

His watch collection contains several models from the legendary brand.

But this one might just be the most intriguing of them all.

The watch in question is a beauty – a rose-gold ref. 5961R.

This watch is extremely interesting; and important, too.

In order to explain why, we have to go back to the 1990s.

99 problems…but owning a Patek Philippe ain’t one

Even if you’re not into watches, you will probably know that Switzerland is considered the gold-standard of watchmaking.

Brands such as Rolex, Omega and Audemars Piguet are just a few legendary examples.

Chief among them (and considered one of the ‘Holy Trinity’) is Patek Philippe.

From the 1970s to the 1980s, the Swiss watchmaking industry was nearly bankrupted.

An event known as the ‘Quartz Crisis’ saw the Japanese make massive strides in watchmaking.

Brands such as Seiko developed Quartz-powered watches that could be produced cheaper and en-masse.

Patek Philippe felt the effects, and realised it needed to start being competitive.

In 1996, Patek debuted the ref. 5035 ‘annual calendar’, a watch that needs manual adjustment just once per year.

This was important, because it was less complex than its perpetual calendar siblings.

It was significantly more affordable, and quickly caught on.

A decade later, the brand released the ref. 5960, a watch with both an annual calendar and a flyback chronograph.

Then, in 2011, the firm released the ref. 5961R-010, a rose-gold version with a diamond bezel and diamond indices.

The watch immediately became legendary because it was retailed at Tiffany & Co.

It is also legendary because it features an incredibly rare, double-signed dial.

To put this in context – the non-signed version of the watch retails for over $205,000.

All of this is to say that Jay-Z’s 5961R Patek Philippe is an incredible watch.