Objectified: Rap's Obsession With Patek Philippe

The most prominent catalyst was Future on DJ Esco's "Too Much Sauce" with Lil Uzi Vert in June 2016: "Patek Philippe, the plain one/That's too much sauce," he raps The Rolex hasn't disappeared from rap but it has taken a backseat to Patek Philippe over the last year and a half On "Hard Piano," a Pusha-T song from an album he named for Rolex's pricey Daytona model, the Virginian raps, "Had to find other ways to invest/'Cause you rappers found every way to ruin Pateks" This is an obvious response to oversaturation in rap songs, but it's hard to overstate how rare and timeless the pieces still are.

As Wesley Williams puts it: "I don't think it's possible for rappers to ruin a watch of such luxury It's a collector's item," for rappers particularly the Nautilus 5711 and 5980 models To bust down a watch is to ice-out the bezel with diamonds, and Patek Philippe watches look better customized than most high-end brands, which has played a major role in them becoming trendy for rap in the Instagram era.

Wesley Williams sees rapper interest in Pateks as somewhat cursory, caused by what he calls a "Trickling effect." "I'm not going to say rappers aren't studying watches, but I think there's more rappers merely following the trends as opposed to seeking out types of watches and the different styles and how it's made But I think rappers will start seeking into value If they've evolved from just buying Rolexes to buying Pateks, they'll eventually start researching watches" While Future may favor Mille in his personal life, that isn't the one he helped make popular among rappers; the power is in the endorsement, in the item being used as a reflection of rap luxury within the gaudy, oversized world of their songs. Source