Ozzy Osbourne’s gold Rolex ‘President’ rocked even harder than he did
A timepiece that "bats" above average
By 
OZZY OSBOURNE wasn’t someone to do things by halves – not the music, not the lifestyle and not the way he dressed.
With the sad passing of the Prince of Darkness last week, Instagram has been paying tribute in the way it knows best – finding joyful, touching and occasionally amusing tributes to the Black Sabbath legend and Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer.
Naturally, the watch world has not passed up the opportunity to scour the archives for noteworthy timepieces adorning Osbourne’s arm, either.
Like every rock star worth their salt, the full-throated ‘Paranoid’ singer was as adept at spending money as he was earning it.
When it came to watches he wasn’t a traditional collector (of course he wasn’t!) but he had taste.
Over the years he wore a Franck Muller Curvex, a Jacob & Co Five Time Zone, and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore – all large, statement pieces that reflected his appreciation of the theatrical.
And, at the height of his pomp he owned a rather nice Rolex Day-Date.
As spotted by @niccoloy he wore the piece amid the chaos of an after-party in 1984 at New York’s notorious Limelight Club.
The night followed one of Ozzy’s riotous solo gigs – a stop on his Bark At the Moon Tour – and brought together two of rock’s most notorious forces: Osbourne, already a legend from his Black Sabbath years and Mötley Crüe, the wild new kids on the Sunset Strip who had just begun opening for him.
Their backstage antics would go on to become the stuff of heavy metal mythology – including the now-infamous moment when Ozzy apparently snorted a crawling line of ants in a (possibly successful) bid to outdo Crüe’s drug-fuelled bravado.
The photos capture a moment from that unhinged era.
The then-34-year-old, mid-laugh in a white leather coat, stands centre frame flanked by The Crüe, with gold discs in hand and black candles burning behind them.
Then there is the unmistakable flash of gold on his wrist – the Rollie Day-Date in solid yellow gold, with what looks like a champagne dial.
Released in 1956, the Day-Date was the first wristwatch to show both the date and the day of the week spelled out in full.
Always made in precious metal – never steel – it quickly earned the nickname the President.
Lyndon B. Johnson wore one in the White House. So did JFK.
Later came Elvis, Tupac and Tony Soprano.
It remains a classic symbol of power, wealth and rock royalty – wristwear that matched Ozzy’s own flamboyant style perfectly.
As the heavy metal pioneer sang on 1991’s ‘Hellraiser’:
‘I’m living on and endless road/ Around the world for rock and roll’.
This story originally appeared on Esquire UK.
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