Two of the first known owners of Rolex’s 2023 “Emoji” DayDates have been revealed as super-collector celebrities, musician John Mayer and American Football legend Tom Brady.
Both have broken cover in the past week, and both bought the impossibly rare puzzle-dialled watches at family-owned Californian authorised Rolex dealers.
GQ’s USA edition first reported Mr Mayer’s purchase from Fourtané Jewelers, a small independent based in the picturesque millionaires’ playground village of Carmel-by-the-Sea last week.
Fourtané has also been in the news this month for hiring Russell Kelly, formerly chief commercial officer for Hodinkee, where Mr Mayer is an investor.
According to GQ, Mr Kelly and Mr Mayer discussed the showstopping Rolex watch soon after its launch at Watches and Wonders in the spring.
Soon after his move to Fourtané, which is run by second-generation owner Josh Bonifas, Rolex allocated one of the first of the puzzle watches anywhere in the world to the retailer, and Mr Mayer got the call that he could have it.
Perhaps Rolex is working its way from West to East, because a second Emoji watch appeared just a few days later with Polacheck, based in Calabasas, a wealthy enclave of Greater Los Angeles, with arguably America’s second biggest celebrity watch collector Tom Brady getting the nod.
Mr Brady is also an investor in Hodinkee.
Polacheck’s fourth-generation owner, Brent Polacheck, shared on his Instagram that Mr Brady was in competition with his son for the rare Rolex.
Mr Brady, the GOAT of gridiron with seven Superbowl championships to his name, won again and walked away with the prized piece.
“Special watch for a very SPECIAL guy!! TB had to pry this off of my son Kase’s wrist. There is nothing better than a family business @polachecksjewelers . Thanks @tombrady for our friendship all these years. Thank you @rolex for giving me the opportunity to deliver this to my friend. Hard work pays off,” Mr Polacheck posted on his social media feed with a picture of his son and Mr Brady together.
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