Inside Ed Sheeran’s $2.8m Rolex watch collection
The 'Shape of You' singer is a bona fide watch guy with a collection that includes several rare Daytonas and new releases
By 
PERSONALLY, to look at him, I wouldn’t expect Ed Sheeran to be one of the biggest watch collectors in the music industry. With his shaggy ginger locks, tie-dye T-shirts and pop-rock oeuvre, a hefty (in weight and price) metal watch seems like a juxtaposition for Sheeran. It came as a shock, then, to research his vice for watches, no less his penchant for Rolex.
Similar to his fellow musician-slash-watch guys – I’m thinking of John Mayer and Drake – the 34-year-old’s collection consists of the usual suspects: Daytonas; rainbow sapphire-encrusted ones; an Everose to mix things up. But, as you’ll see below, some quite recent releases that prove the ‘Shape of You’ singer has his ear to the ground and his card on file at the Swiss house.
What pays for a collection worth an estimated $2.8 million? As of 2023 according to Pollstar, Sheeran is the eleventh highest-grossing live music artist in history with 16.93 million tickets sold (2.5 million of which have been from Australia and New Zealand – we love him!), accounting for about $1.44 billion USD. With his next Australia/New Zealand tour around the corner, Sheeran probably has his eye on another Rollie come payday.
All prices are listed in Australian dollars.
Ed Sheeran’s Rolex watch collection
Rolex Land-Dweller
Material: platinum | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 127336 | Price: $108,400
Since it was unveiled at Watches & Wonders earlier this year, the Land-Dweller 40 has been spotted on several famous watch guys. Roger Federer. Leonardo DiCaprio. Tom Cruise. Naturally, Sheeran got one for himself in platinum with that glacier blue, honeycomb-patterned dial. But why did the new Rolex model kick up such a fuss during the Swiss trade show? The Land-Dweller represents a massive technical leap forward for the brand, with 18 patents exclusive to the new watch (and 32 related to it in total). It’s also one of the few Rolexes with an integrated bracelet, elevating the diving watch into the luxury realm – with a cool $108,400 retail price to boot.
Rolex GMT-Master II
Material: white gold | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 126729VTNR | Price: $81,200
Sheeran may be right-handed, but that won’t stop him from appreciating a watch made for lefties. The Swiss watchmaker first launched the left-handed GMT-Master II two years ago, with the crown situated to the left so as not to dig into the wrist. What the English singer got his hands on was a new release from Watches & Wonders featuring a Cerachrom green dial with a black and green bezel. if it weren’t for the Land Dweller, the new and improved dial material would’ve been the biggest news to come out of the convention.
Rolex ‘Le Mans’ Cosmograph Daytona
Material: white gold | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 126529LN | Price: $87,700 retail; estimated $350,000 resale
Arguably one of the rarest Rolexes out there, you had to have serious cultural import to secure the centenary issued ‘Le Mans’ Cosmograph Daytona when it was released in 2023. Its famous wearers include Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Jordan, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Wahlberg, Roger Federer, and then some. As you’ll also notice, I listed both retail and market resale prices – what gives the hike? Production ran for less than a year when it was released in June 2023, naturally causing a shortage in the market. The ‘Le Mans’ was also a celebratory release for 100 years of the racing watch. With its rarity and sentimental appeal, those are ingredients for an instant collectable.
Rolex Rainbow Daytona
Material: white gold | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 116599RBOW | Price: $136,000 retail; estimated $573,500 resale
Now this is wrist candy. With its gradient rainbow of sapphires in the bezel, the ‘Rainbow’ Daytona captivated athletes, actors, musicians and billionaires alike when it was released in 2012. Famously off-catalogue, it was produced in very limited numbers – a true expression of luxury and scarcity.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Material: platinum | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 126506 | Price: $134,000
Rivalling the hyped-up ‘Tiffany’ dial that was unveiled this year, the ‘Ice Blue’ Daytona is its more elegant cousin. Featuring a splendid ‘Ice Blue’ dial with a contrasting brown ceramic bezel and trio of sub-dials, Rolex released this one back in 2013 the mark the Daytona’s 50th birthday. Still a favourite amongst celebrity collectors, Tom Holland wore his to Wimbledon.
Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Cosmograph Daytona
Material: steel | Case: 37 mm | Ref: 6263 | Price: estimated $1,000,000
If you couldn’t tell by now, watches are the chill-looking Sheeran’s vice. He isn’t one to be precious with his timepieces either, wearing his ultra-rare ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona to spin pizzas in a kitchen before handing out boxes to screaming fans. (The thought of a fan unclasping it and slipping off . . . I’m sure security was present.) For reference on how much these fetch, a similar Newman Daytona sold for $17.8 million USD at auction in 2017. The one Sheeran owns features a steel Oyster bracelet with an estimated $1 million asking price.
(Another) Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Cosmograph Daytona
Material: steel | Case: 37 mm | Ref: 6239 | Price: estimated $454,000
Not that one was enough.
Rolex Yacht-Master
Material: Everose | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 126655 | Price: $55,800
Let’s take a break from the Daytonas for a moment. A sporty pivot for Sheeran, he’s seen here with a rosy Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master in Everose with a black rubber strap. The watch has been an athletic alternative for the luxury customer who’ll buy into the nautical narratives of the Yacht-Master. On a practical note, it’s waterproof to 330 feet, just in case Sheeran ever fancied a dive.
Rolex Cosmograph Daytona
Material: Oystersteel | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 126500LN | Price: $27,000
This one is the last Daytona, we promise! Though think of this iteration as Sheeran’s casual Daytona. Released in 2023 to mark the model’s 60th anniversary, the commemorative watch features small, iterative adjustments for the occasion. For one, the bezel is moulded with a tachymetric scale for measuring average speeds of up to 400 miles per hour, blending high technology with sleek aesthetics. Not that he’ll have much use for this function, but the vintage-looking bezel also harks back to the 1965 model.
Roles GMT-Master II
Material: Oystersteel | Case: 40 mm | Ref: 126720VTNR | Price: $20,100
Last one for the road. Any discerning watch guy in the entertainment industry will go for the red-and-blue bezel ‘Pepsi’ GMT-Master II. But not Sheeran, who’s proven his horological bona fides by watch number three. Instead, the ‘Shape of You’ singer opted for the green-and-black bezel, aptly nicknamed ‘Sprite’.
Related:
Leonardo DiCaprio just wore a Rolex collectors are paying triple for
Inside Daniel Craig’s Omega watch collection: from MoonSwatch to Seamaster
