Rock around the clock
From rock to rap, the charts have never been short of hits inspired by time. Today’s hip-hop and R&B stars go further still in their love of Fine Watches.
Luc Debraine
"Partner let me upgrade you/Audemars Piguet you," sings Beyoncé in Upgrade U. Move up a notch, reach the heights of luxury, flaunt your wealth and in particular your excellent taste in watches… whether rap, hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock, today’s music stars have no inhibitions about saying what they want from life. Yes, they want to drive a Maybach or a Bentley. Yes, they want to wear Vuitton and Gaultier, but most of all they want to be seen around town with a grande complication or an 18k rose gold watch on their wrist. Hardly surprising then that Beyoncé should entice her partner with the promise that she will "Audemars Piguet him"…
Rhyming time
Rappers love to pepper their lyrics with the names of luxury brands, including watches. In Cinquième As, MC Solar sings, "Je suis Rolex, Philippe Patek et Lexus." Whether he inverted the Patek Philippe names inadvertently or in fun, no one knows (he goes on to rhyme "Lexus" with "exodus" and "plexus" which must have left managers of the Japanese automaker somewhat puzzled, presuming they listen to French rap!).
American music stars like to do more than just sing about watches: they love to be seen wearing fabulous timepieces beginning, as Beyoncé’s song suggests, with Audemars Piguet. The Le Brassus brand has won over stars such as Jay-Z, who often flashes his Royal Oak Offshore or Grande Complication the paparazzi’s way. Mary J. Blige is regularly seen with her Millenary, Kanye West with his End of Days, and John Legend with his Edward Piguet chronograph. Not forgetting music mogul Pharell Williams and his exceptional Concept. The producer (whose stable includes Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani) could easily have spoken Oscar Wilde’s words, "I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best." He has even designed a jewellery collection for Louis Vuitton, no less.
Usher, R&B star and watch connoisseur
R&B star Usher, a man who has sold 30 million albums worldwide, is another fan of Audemars Piguet, in particular his Juan Pablo Montoya (made as a limited edition of 500) in 18k rose gold. Usher is a genuine collector, first out of a passion for beautiful timepieces and secondly as a smart investment move. The singer recently told the British newspaper Mail on Sunday that he has been buying watches ever since he first stepped on stage ten years ago, and started earning some money. "I’ve been acquiring watches for as long as I’ve been able to afford them, and for me it’s much better than suffering from ’affluenza’ – spending money just because you can."
The first watch in his collection was a baby Cartier Santos, a gift from producer and friend Jermaine Dupri for the singer’s first N°1, You Make Me Wanna, in 1997. The next brands to catch his eye were Breitling and, even more so, Rolex. Usher and his wife Tameka like to be seen together wearing their matching Daytonas (hers with a lighter dial, his with a darker one). Joining them in the safe in his Atlanta home are a Panerai Luminor, a Cartier Pasha, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and assorted other watches by Louis Vuitton, Gucci and U-Boat. Usher is also the proud owner of a one-of-a-kind piece designed by Damon Dash, owner of the New York company Tiret: its dial features Usher’s face made from 1,106 diamonds.
Other stars have a soft spot for one-off creations, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and his Bovet Fleurier with painted dial. Even higher up the exclusivity scale comes Elton John: the British singer has his own collection of watches at Chopard, sold to raise money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Stars aren’t shy about promoting their favourite brand, blurring the line between product placement and flaunting status symbols. Beyoncé’s song is one example, while in the video for Alicia Key’s hit No One, the camera pauses not once but twice on the singer’s Piaget Polo and Possession watches.
Whatever the reason for these close-ups and name-dropping, which are after all a form of tribute to Fine Watches, time has always been on music’s side, especially British pop music. Rock ’n roll was born to the one-two rhythm of the clock, when in May 1954 Bill Haley and the Comets sang, "One, two, three o’clock, four o’clock, rock/Five, six, seven o’clock, eight o’clock, rock/Nine, ten, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock, rock/We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight." The hit that paved the way for rock ’n roll in a sweep of the dial would influence generations of musicians.
Watches, clocks, incessantly beating mechanisms, numbers counted up or down have become features of pop and rock songs, used to convey urgency and create a hypnotic beat that works its way into our minds. As punk rock exploded onto the scene, The Stranglers had a dark message for their fans: "Five minutes and you’re almost there/Five minutes and you’re almost dead." Now Madonna has added to the urgency by slicing a minute off the allotted time in Four Minutes, her recent N°1 with Justin Timberlake: "Tick, tock, tick tock, tick tock, time is waiting…". ■
