John Mayer - Famous Rolex Collector

John Mayer is not only a famed musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist and musician, but an avid Rolex Collector

John Mayer is most famous for his exquisite musicianship and vocal prowess which has earned him a Grammy and millions of albums sold worldwide.  He is inspired by a wide range of music from country to blues to rock and beyond.  He has performed with many celebrity musicians including Maroon 5, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, and Keith Urban.  He has dated celebrities such as Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. 

However, John has teamed up with Hodinkee to pen several articles on watch collecting - a long pastime of his.  He owns nearly 5 million dollars worth of watches in his collection, and he collects IWC and Panerai in addition to a long-time love for Rolex.

We know John Mayer has a Rare 6264 in gold with red "Daytona" in his extensive collection.

Rolex Daytona Ref 6264

This 6264 is the twin to the 6262. The model features the Valjoux caliber 727 movement and pump pushers. It's distinctive black acrylic bezel sets it apart from some of the earlier Daytonas.  The ones made in 1970 and 71 are extremely rare and have been fetching outrageous prices at auction.

The Rolex Daytona is one of the most sought after Rolex watches today.  New or old, they are extremely collectible.  The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona was introduced in 1963 and was designed for professional racecar drivers.  Initially the reliable chronograph and bezel with tachymetric scale allowed drivers to measure average speeds up to 200 kilometres or miles per hour.  Newer Daytonas measure up to 400 miles per hour.

The Daytona has an hour, minute and second hands.  It has a small seconds hand at 6 o'clock, a chronograph center hand, a 30 minute counter at 3 o'clock and a 12 hour counter at 9 o'clock.

Military Submariner. Image: Bobs Watches

John also owns a 5513/5517 Military Submariner.  These Rolex watches were originally made for the Royal Navy in the 1970's.  Only about 1200 MilSubs were ever made and they are in high demand since only a few hundred may be in original condition.

These MilSubs have a large T in a circle above the depth markings at six o'clock.  T refers to the use of tritium in the manufacturing. 

The hour, minute and seconds hands have sharp points and are often thought to be in the shape of swords.

The strap can easily be replaced with a quality 20 mm lug width replacement band such as one of these from Rubber B.

This watch is stunning with its black bezel and simplicity of design.  The nostalgia effect and rarity of these models make these extremely collectible.  However, it would take an expert to help determine whether some of the parts have been replaced from the original.  Many of the original 1200 units have been repaired, replaced and contain a variety of non-original parts.

Rolex Explorer I Ref 1016 - Image: Bob's Watches

John Mayer also recommended several Rolex buys under 8k which he is currently buying for his own collection and recommending to many other artists, rap stars and colleagues. 

The first Rolex on John Mayer's "Buy List" is the Rolex Explorer I Reference 1016 which could be called the "James Bond Rolex" since it was actually worn by famous author Ian Fleming, creator of 007, and mentioned in the original books.  It was worn by the first party to climb Mount Everest and was produced between 1963 and 1989.

The Rolex Explorer I Reference 1016 has a water resistance up to 300 feet and a screw down oyster case.  The simplicity of the black dial with slightly off-white numbers and markers is both stunning and exquisite.  The numerals 3, 6 and 9 represent the hour markers in those positions and are highly readable.   The initial movement was a 1560 caliber, but was replaced by the 1570.  The Reference 1016 is the longest running Explorer references in Rolex history.

Rolex Datejust Reference 1601 in 18k Yellow Gold

Next on Mayer's "Buy List" is the Rolex Datejust Reference 1601 in 18k Gold. This valuable collectable item has a 36mm case made out of solid 18k gold.  It has an Acrylic crystal glass with cyclops lens for viewing the date easily.  The Rolex crown appears at 12 o'clock and gold lugs appear for the other hours.

This model came with a president style gold plated link band which matches the gold case crown bezel and lugs.  This model was manufactured between 1960 and 1969.

Today with the rising price of gold, the value of this Gold Rolex is likely to rise.

We will cover the other three items on John Mayer's Buy List in the next article.