What Watch Did Elvis Wear?

Elvis Presley, also known as the ‘king of rock and roll’, was an American sensation and one of the most musical and cultural influencers of all time. As well as expensive cars and flashy jewellery, and held a strong admiration for watches. Over the course of his career, Elvis owned several remarkable timepieces, including the Hamilton Ventura and Omega Constellation, which helped to form his memorable style.

Whilst not a complete list, here’s a look at some of the most famous timepieces Elvis wore and adored throughout his life.

5 Watches Elvis Used To Wear Include:

1. Tiffany Omega
2. Omega Constellation
3. Hamilton Ventura
4. Rolex King Midas
5. Rolex Submariner

1.The Tiffany Omega

Elvis was gifted the special ‘Omega by Tiffany & Co’ timepiece in 1961 by his record label (RCA) to celebrate his incredible achievement of having sold 75 million records - an unheard-of number by any musician before Elvis’ achievement. 

To mark the occasion, the case back of the 18k while gold watch is inscribed, “To Elvis, 75 Million Records, RCA Victor, 12-25-60.” The watch is powered by a manually-wound Omega calibre 510 - one of the most robust and desirable movements by vintage Omega watch collectors. It wouldn’t be a watch fit for a king without some bling, and this model in particular boasts 44 brilliant cut diamonds in its bezel.

This watch made headlines in 2018 when it sold at auction for $1.8 Million – a record for an Omega watch.

2. Omega Constellation

Elvis was clearly an Omega fan as the Tiffany Omega wasn’t his only watch of that brand in his collection - the Constellation featured prominently during the years he served for the US Army (late 1950’s). 

The watch itself is an Omega Constellation with a black face, “sniper” dial with gold dauphine hands, and gold capping showing the date at 3 o’clock with raised indices and a stainless steel case back. Movement is controlled by a Cal. 504 manual winding chronometer.

During 1958 to 1960 he was stationed in Germany with his longtime friend Charlie Hodge, who he later gifted the watch to as a present. The watch was auctioned in 2012 for $52,500.

OMEGA 130.20.39.21.03.001 Constellation Globemaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer 39mm

This Omega Constellation Globemaster is nothing but exquisite. Along with a new standard of quality, the simple yet captivating design makes this watch a true object of desire. The stainless steel case features a rich 18K Sedna gold fluted bezel, and hands and indexes which have also been filled with illuminous Super-LumiNova.

What truly makes this timepiece special is the classic "Pie Pan" style that is inspired by the first 1952 Constellation model, also seen on Elvis’s iconic Omega timepiece. 

Complementing the case and bezel, the new 3-row bracelet has been included with slightly curved central links made from stainless steel and 18K Sedna™ gold. The watch is driven by Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8900, featuring revolutionary anti-magnetic technology.

 

Shop our complete pre-owned Omega collection. 

3. Hamilton Ventura

Elvis swapped his Tiffany Omega for a Hamilton Ventura - the world’s first battery-powered watch. He wore it regularly, and the timepiece became iconic when he wore it in his 1961 film Blue Hawaii. Presley loved the Ventura so much that he bought other variants later, and often gifted them to his friends and bandmates. It’s now known as “the Elvis watch.”

Hamilton re-released the Ventura in 2017 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the initial 1957 release. The new Classic Ventura features a case with dimensions 32.3mm x 50.3mm, quartz movement and a leather strap. 

 

4. Rolex King Midas

Probably the most impressive timepiece in Elvis’ watch collection was his very, very rare limited-edition Rolex King Midas, which was given to Elvis as a token of appreciation after playing six consecutive sold-out concerts in 1970 at the Houston Astrodome. 

Only 1,000 pieces of the model were produced and at the time, the King Midas was the most expensive Rolex money could buy. The unique timepiece was nothing like any other Rolex of the time – or even today. The watch had an asymmetric rectangular case, made of 18K solid gold, featuring a hand wound movement and an integrated bracelet. Some say it looked more like a large bracelet than a watch. 

5. Rolex Submariner

One of the most expensive timepieces Elvis owned was the Rolex Submariner 6538 Big Crown, which he proudly wore in the 1962 movie “Girls, Girls, Girls.” Coincidentally, Sean Connery also wore the Submariner Big Crown in the first Bond film, “Dr. No.” which also premiered in 1962.

As the name suggests, the timepiece features an oversized winding crown without any crown guards. Controlled by Rolex’s Calibre 1030 movement, the early Submariner’s dial focuses on simplicity, as they don’t have day or date functions as these only came in later models (1960 onwards).

ROLEX 124060 Submariner 41mm Oyster Perpetual Automatic Watch

Here we have the current-day of the classic Submariner, featuring many of the timeless design hallmarks of the original 1953 model, with an emphasis on peerless mechanical precision and dependable water resistance (up to 300m).

The central casing is wrought from a single block of specially-formulated 'Oystersteel' and controlled by the respected Rolex 3230 automatic mechanism. The dial is designed for maximal legibility with its luminescent hands and indexes contrasted sharply against a jet black backing; encircling this is a unidirectional rotating bezel with black ceramic inlay and 60-minute gradation markers - an essential component of the deep sea diver's toolkit

Shop our complete pre-owned Rolex collection. 

 

Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ Film 

It's an exciting time for Elvis fans out there with the announcement of Baz Luhrmann’s new ‘Elvis’ film, which chronicles the life and career of the iconic singer, actor and heart-throb. 

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Written by Kate, for Watch Obsession.