Talking Watches: With Pusha T – On Rolex, Rap, And The Luxury Of Time

In a Pusha T verse, every detail is chosen with purpose. Watches have long been a constant in his lyrics–they are part status symbol, part cultural shorthand, and always a reflection of how closely he pays attention. This kind of specificity is central to his writing, and it is also the clearest way into a watch collection that is not only bold in appearance, but governed by a set of standards.

He describes himself as a student of culture, and over the years, that knowledge shaped a specific set of rules. Pusha buys through authorized channels, favors factory-set stones, and rejects aftermarket work. His lyrics about ruined Pateks and Cartier bust-downs are not simply jokes; he sees them as a kind of tutorial on what to do and what to avoid. Many of his watches are unapologetically gem-set, but the distinction is not between understated and extravagant. It is between an original idea and an imitation of one.

Then there is the waiting. Pusha named Daytona for what the watch represented to him: the luxury of taking the time required to get something right. The same principle now defines how he collects. Some watches arrived when they could still be bought from a display case. Others took years of patience. The watches on the table connect those two eras, revealing a collector whose access may have changed, but whose standards have not. This is Talking Watches with Pusha T.

Rolex Submariner Date Ref. 16618LN With Black Dial And Diamond Hour Markers

Pusha remembers the black-dial Submariner as his first Rolex. He bought it in Germany at a time when it was still possible to walk into a store, see the watch you wanted, and simply ask for it. The factory diamond-set dial made the watch less desirable to local buyers, but that was precisely the detail that caught his attention.

When the salesperson warned him that diamond watches carried a certain reputation, Pusha’s response was immediate: if the stones were factory-set, he wanted it. That distinction – original execution over aftermarket spectacle – would become one of the clearest rules in his collection.

Rolex Submariner Ref. 116618BLD With Blue Dial And Diamond Hour Markers

The blue Submariner came out of the same early buying experience. Faced with two yellow-gold Subs and none of today’s scarcity, Pusha did not agonize over the choice. He took both. The story captures an entirely different era of Rolex retail, but it also shows how fully formed his taste already was: precious metal, strong color, and factory originality.

Rolex Yellow Gold President Day-Date Ref. 228348RBR With Champagne Dial, Diamond Bezel And Indices

For Pusha T, the Day-Date is inseparable from rap’s visual history. In the magazine era he remembers, the setup was simple: a Day-Date on the wrist and a Jesus piece on the neck. Those were the trophies. His yellow-gold example, with its champagne dial and factory-set diamond bezel, takes that familiar formula. 

The important word is factory. Pusha has spent years learning the difference between Rolex gem setting and the increasingly elaborate aftermarket work he sees across the music industry. The diamonds are not decoration added later; they are part of the watch as Rolex intended it.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date II Ref. 218206 In Platinum

Pusha calls the platinum Day-Date II a ‘grown-up watch.’ The appeal begins with the weight of the metal, but the ice-blue dial and diamond-set Roman numerals complete it. To him, those Romans have always read as a flex–formal, unmistakable, and substantial without relying on an aftermarket transformation.

This was once part of a three-watch Day-Date II rotation that traveled with him regularly. The trio included yellow gold, platinum, and rose gold: three variations on the same idea, each with a very different presence.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date II Ref. 218235 In Everose Gold (Not In Video)

The third watch in that traveling trio is the one not on the table. At his bachelor party in Las Vegas, Pharrell sent a cake to Pusha’s hotel room after being unable to attend. The gesture inadvertently announced Pusha’s presence to people inside the hotel, and his room was targeted. The watches disappeared.

Pusha was able to replace the yellow-gold and platinum examples, but not this Everose Day-Date II with its black dial and baguette-set hour markers. He still intends to buy it back.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 Ref. 228349RBR In White Gold

This fully gem-set white-gold Day-Date marks Pusha’s first modern Rolex buying experience. The pavé dial, diamond-set bezel, and sapphire accents made it something he immediately wanted – and something no one was immediately willing to sell him. For the first time, obtaining the watch meant waiting.

Rolex Daytona Ref. 126500LN

Alas, the Rolex model has enough respect and presence that Pusha even named his universally praised 2018 album after it. The stainless-steel ‘Panda’ Daytona is one of the easiest watches in the collection to imagine Pusha wearing every day. He likes its comfort and directness. This is the icon in its cleanest modern form.

Rolex Daytona Ref. 116515LN In Everose Gold And Alligator Strap

This chocolate-dial Daytona on an alligator strap was the watch that pulled Pusha deeper into the model around 2010. He had gone into the store looking for something else when it was brought out as an alternative. At a time when Daytonas on straps were less common – and were among the executions Rolex was actually producing – the combination of Everose gold, chocolate dial, ceramic bezel, and leather had a presence unlike that of the sportier bracelet models. It became the beginning of the Daytona chapter in his collection.

Rolex Daytona ‘Rainbow’ Ref. 116595RBOW

The Rainbow Daytona is the watch on Pusha’s wrist, and when asked how much he loves it, his answer is simple: too much. He wore it to the Grammys, but the greater satisfaction seems to come from finally being recognized as the right owner after years in line. The watch is spectacular – Everose gold, a graduated sapphire bezel, and a diamond-set dial and case – yet his explanation returns to something more universal among collectors: wanting a specific watch, waiting your turn, and appreciating it more when it finally arrives.

Director/Executive Producer: David Aujero
Editor: Max Rosen, David Aujero
Camera Operators: David Aujero, Shota Akiyoshi, Max Rosen
Photographer: Shota Akiyoshi
Animator: Bryan Odiamar (Peabe)
Audio: Frank Flaherty
Color: Leonardo Schober