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Celebrity

Eric Clapton

Owned one of the two platinum 2499s on earth.

Known for
Guitar legend & collector
The watch
Patek Philippe ref. 2499 in platinum
Eric Clapton
Raph_PH — CC BY 2.0

The story

Clapton assembled one of the great modern watch collections. Its crown jewel: a platinum Patek Philippe ref. 2499 perpetual-calendar chronograph, one of only two ever made, which sold for about CHF 3.6 million in 2012. His pale-dialed Rolex Daytona ref. 6263 'Albino' brought $1.4 million.

Facts

  • The 'Albino' Daytona was once suspected to be a fake — until its documented history silenced the doubters.
  • The platinum 2499 sold at Christie's in Geneva in November 2012 for about CHF 3.44 million — then a world record for any Patek Philippe wristwatch at auction.
  • The 'Albino' Daytona ref. 6263 sold at Phillips in Geneva in November 2015 for roughly $1.4 million.
  • Clapton has been a seller as much as a buyer. Several pieces now traded under his name passed through the collection and out of it again, which is why 'ex-Clapton' reads as a provenance line in auction catalogues.

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