Check out for Spotting We’ve Spent the Entire Day Talking About Trevor Noah’s THREE Grammy Watch Looks + Jay-Crazy Z’s Patek Grandmaster Chime
Last night, the music industry’s top brass gathered to toast the finest of 2022. We gathered a slew of watch industry insiders today to talk about what we saw on the wrists of everyone from Trevor Noah to Michael Friedman’s BFF Kendrick Lamar. All of this happened over Slack, and instead of editing it to hell, we decided to give our raw ideas, Behind The Music style. Continue reading to find out what Tony, Danny, and Malaika had to say, and leave your thoughts in the comments.
Danny: Okay – let’s just jump into this. Grammy’s – on the whole – from a watch perspective. Feelings?
Tony: Started slow, then it picked up in a big way. Then Jay-Z just ended everyone.
Malaika: The people really turned it out.
Tony: For me, it started with Trevor Noah, who we know is a big watch guy. He turned up with a Nautilus 5723 which is already a level up from a standard Nautilus, but turns out he was just getting started.
Malaika: I think Kendrick’s look was flee. His whole outfit was just perfect. Perfectly topped off with that OP.
Tony: Okay, Malaika’s thing first.
I’ve heard before that Kendrick’s a watch guy, he just doesn’t like to flaunt it. To me, the Oyster Perpetual that matches the outfit is the perfect watch for that.
Danny: It was basically an extension of the outfit. The watch was made for this exact scenario.
Tony: Like, I know light-blue dials are so 2021, but it just worked here.
Danny: Is 2021 vintage now?
Malaika: If anything I think that was the point. Like ‘I can do what I want with this Tiffany Blue, I’m Kendrick Lamar.’ Pharrell also killed, even though this was take two of the Tiffany glasses and RM Smiley combo. I have an unhealthy obsession with the RM88 Smiley.
Danny: You really do.
Tony: Your intro article almost sold me on it.
Malaika: Listen I love RM and I don’t care what anybody thinks.
Should we just talk about Jay-Z because, wow.
Tony: FINALLY.Danny: It was basically an extension of the outfit. The watch was made for this exact scenario.
Tony: Like, I know light-blue dials are so 2021, but it just worked here.
Danny: Is 2021 vintage now?
Malaika: If anything I think that was the point. Like ‘I can do what I want with this Tiffany Blue, I’m Kendrick Lamar.’ Pharrell also killed, even though this was take two of the Tiffany glasses and RM Smiley combo. I have an unhealthy obsession with the RM88 Smiley.
Danny: You really do.
Tony: Your intro article almost sold me on it.
Malaika: Listen I love RM and I don’t care what anybody thinks.
Should we just talk about Jay-Z because, wow.
Tony: FINALLY.
Grammy for best R&B song, I think, but she wasn’t there to accept so the host took the mic and said “Beyonce and Jay are running late, but they’ll be here.” Already a big-time move.
And then Jay-Z shows up with the most big-time watch of the night. We saw him wear it three-plus years ago. I love that he’s just beating around a Grandmaster Chime at this point.
Danny: What I appreciate most about this is that he wore it above the cuff (as in not hidden under the cuff) all night. If you’re going to wear it, let us see it. And he did.
Tony: Thanks for making our job easy, Jay!
Danny: Nothing worse than a watch hidden beneath a cuff (ahem, Trevor Noah).
Tony: Should we talk about Trevor now? He was another highlight for me.
Danny: THREE WATCHES.
This is kind of a novel move no?
I can’t think of a host that’s done that before at any show unless I’m way off.
Tony: Not a host, but I remember Sheeran doing it, maybe at the Grammy’s last year. 2499 on the red carpet, then played on stage in a 5711 green dial.
Malaika: But that I understand more.
Tony: 100%. I love that move, Ed.
Malaika Crawford: Should we talk about Trevor’s actual choices?
Danny: I think we should.
Tony: So it started with him on the red carpet wearing a Nautilus 5723 – rose gold, diamonds on the bezel.
Danny: Low-key move.
I’m super into the diamond bezel pairing with the dinner jacket though.
Tony: But then we see him a bit later into hosting the show, and something different peeking out from under his wrist: a black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. He changed his fit, so I guess why not change the watch too?
Malaika: OK I was VERY into the black ceramic RO.
Danny: Me too, but I am also always into that watch.
But for me, it was the third cuff-hidden piece.
It was a Rolex …. but also it was a ROLEX.
Tony: We haven’t found a great picture, but it looks like a white gold, sapphire-studded Submariner like this one – the… Sapphire Smurf?
Danny: It’s totally that one, I won’t say 100%, but definitely a cool 90% certainty.
Malaika: Back to the first watch for a second. I think the whole ensemble threw me. The white tux and the gem-set Nautilus just screamed Vegas.
Danny: Is Vegas Scream a bad look? I need to rethink some things.
Danny: Teach us about pocket watches.
Malaika: Uzi just knows how to make an impression. NOBODY else would have done that.
And honestly, the fact it was an RM pocket watch felt like his way of saying “I’m in on this joke, too.”
I think it’s awesome that there are mega-famous guys who take the collecting thing super seriously but we are also allowed to have fun are we not?
Tony: haha are Patek Grandmaster Chimes not fun to you?
Malaika: Yes but that is Jay-Z that’s another level. He is untouchable.
Danny: It’s kind of amazing because I think the watch guys do take these opportunities to really show off in ways that are untouchable.
Tony: No doubt Uzi’s different, and I do think we need more of that.
Danny: Mayer wore a unique Patek 5004 on a bracelet in 2013…which like, is sort of insane.
And Uzi’s is insane in a totally different (but no less cool) sort of way.
Malaika: And I think the pocket watch thing is funny because it will get people talking. Whether they like it or not. And we have to remember watches are for everybody to talk about not just the inner sanctum of collectors.
Tony: Hey if it takes a guy like Uzi to bring pocket watches back, I’m all in.
Danny: That would be the best origin story for the return of pocket watches.
Tony: But to Danny’s point, one of the reasons I love a choice like Kendrick’s “humble” OP is because it totally says “yeah, I could flex on all of you, but I’m not.” And sometimes, isn’t that the biggest flex of all?
Malaika: 100%
Kendrick and Uzi very different approaches in general though.
Tony: Totally, and we need both.
Malaika: I love the mix of watch personalities and seeing who wears what. Keeps us on our toes!
Danny: Unless there’s anything else worth calling out, shall we close this chapter of Grammy’s horological discourse?
Malaika: WAIT.
Danny: Uh oh.
Malaika: BAD BUNNY.
Tony: Omg how could we forget!
I take everything back, HE was the highlight.
Malaika: I mean who is sourcing his watches? Because they have immaculate taste.
Tony: A vintage ladies’ AP from the looks of it. Who else would do that?
Also, he had a watch change too after his performance.
Malaika: We love the Grammys. Show up in a full couture gown, or a beanie and jeans (Chris Martin please do better) or a Grandmaster Chime. There are no rules.
Tony: And the watch game was equally outrageous, in the best way possible.
Danny: The Grammys. Always here to surprise and delight.
