Over the past years, Tyler, the Creator became a bonafide watch guy right before our eyes. Tyler hardly wore anything but a simple Casio until he all of a sudden caught the bug. A collection that started with a Cartier Crash in 2021 has welcomed many more grail-level pieces from the Parisian jeweler since. Unlike many of his contemporaries who sometimes seem to blindly amass as many hype watches as possible, Tyler’s collection represents extremely personal taste. This mostly manifests itself as a love for vintage and shaped Cartiers.
To be sure, there are several classic Cartiers that would make any watch nerd’s eyes water. But there are also a few timepieces that we everyday folk can get our hands on, like the aforementioned quartz-powered Casio you can buy all day long for about $23. With wide-ranging taste and an effortless cool, Tyler, the Creator has shown us that not all horological accumulation needs to drain one’s retirement accounts or necessitate a trip to an auction in Monaco. (Although if it does, that’s totally fine, too.)
Tyler spoke about his taste in watches and how he came to love Cartier in an interview with Robb Report in 2023. “I based a lot of my watch taste just off of how light it feels and how it could be colorful, too,” he said. “I’ve seen some Rolexes, vintage ones, I really like, but aside from that, I’m just OK with the Cartiers. They bring me joy.” Based on the collection below, there must be a lot of joy in Tyler’s life.
Cartier Pebble
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Much like the Pebble’s offbeat cousin the Crash, this diamond-shaped watch is incredibly rare. Only six pieces are said to have been made during the original production run in 1972. Tyler owns a version of the Pebble that Cartier released in 2022 when it made 150 more. The Pebble is housed in a round, precious-metal case, but its dial is a rounded square that has been rotated 45 degrees and features all the usual refinements: a white background with black Roman numerals, a chemin de fer minute track, and a blued steel-sword handset.
Tank Louis Cartier
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Not everything in Tyler’s creation is a left-of-center impossible-to-find rarity. The rapper also knows how to play the classics. This Tank Louis Cartier is a relatively accessible model that has been in continuous production for over a century. Tyler’s is a prototypical Tank with a solid-gold case, a Roman-numeral dial, a blue sapphire cabochon crown, and a leather strap. His, however, appears to have a date window at three o’clock, which is not a configuration that features in the current collection.
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