The King of Rock n Roll was famous for his iconic, pelvis-thrusting outfits but the legend behind hits such as “Suspicious Minds”, “Jailhouse Rock” and “Blue Suede Shoes” also had an eye for a fine chronograph. At the height of his fame in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Elvis would always would always have a fine watch on his wrist and his taste reflects both the era the man lived in, his status as the most famous man on planet Earth and penchant for fine accessories.
While not a collector per se, Elvis is thought to have accumulated a large number of watches throughout his life, many of which he gave away to various friends within his inner circle as he was known for his generous gifts.
Below, we have rounded up some of the iconic watches most closely associated with Elvis and detail their history.
Hamilton Ventura
Worn in his 1961 movie, Blue Hawaii, the watch seen on screen is believed to be Presley’s own. The Ventura, Hamilton’s first electric watch, is known for its incredibly futuristic, almost triangular design and remains one of the most popular watches in their arsenal. Such was the provenance of Elvis wearing the watch, the Ventura has gone on to become closely associated with the singer and actor. Hamilton also released a special Elvis version of the watch to commemorate what would have been his 80th birthday.
Tiffany & Co. Omega
Elvis was a known fan of Omega during his lifetime and this piece holds a particularly special place in his story. In early 1961, an executive at Elvis’ record label, RCA, went to a Tiffany & Co. store and purchased this dress watch which is marked with the logo of both Tiffany and Omega. The watch would then be engraved on the caseback: “To Elvis 75 Million Records RCA Victor 12-25-60”. The watch came up for auction in 2018 and sold for a staggering $1.2 million and can now be found in Omega’s museum in Switzerland.
Rolex King Midas
At the time of it’s release, the King Midas was the most expensive watch Rolex offered to customers and only 1,000 were ever made. Elvis also received this very distinctive watch as a gift and it was engraved with the message: “To Elvis Presley From The Houston Livestock Show Officers 1970.” The watch can now be seen on tours of Graceland.
Omega Constellation
Elvis being drafted into the US Army at the height of the Cold War is one of the most talked about moments in pop culture history. Throughout his stint in the military, Presley wore an Omega Constellation and would eventually gift the watch to a friend he made in the Army who he stayed close to for the rest of his life. Though thought to be the watch Elvis wore the most during his lifetime, when it hit the auction block in 2012, it sold for only a little over $50,000. If the piece came back to market, it would surely sell for many times that.
Rolex Submariner
Made iconic by Sean Connery in the first three James Bond movies, Elvis proved that he had similar taste to 007 by nabbing a Submariner of his own. The watch most notably appeared on Elvis’ wrist during the filming of his 1962 movie Girls, Girls, Girls. Since the early 1960’s, all public traces of the watch have been lost, meaning it’s either been disappeared by time or remains in a private collection.
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