The Watches Of John Mayer (Part II)

Much has transpired since the first instalment of the Watches of John Mayer – Watches & Wonders 2023 saw the release (and discontinuation) of many references, John announced and is currently embarking on a solo tour across the United States, and, on said tour, a potential new piece unique has been spotted on stage (more on that later).

In this instalment of ‘Mayer Mania’, we explore Mayer’s influence on the watch-collecting world at large and speculate on how this may have affected, and continues to affect, the culture — including the desirability of certain watches.

Precursor to the Hodinkee x G-Shock Collaboration: John Mayer's Casio 89’ Twin Graph, NASA G-Shock DW5600 and G-Shock Frogman

The Ref. 6900 trio of collaborations are well known at this point – to the extent that one might mistakenly think that this was the genesis of the Casio-Mayer love affair. The relationship, in fact, sprouted during his middle school years – when John would while away his time in class just staring at the many functions on the plastic dial of his beloved Casio 89’ Twin Graph. Many of us as adults have a tendency to seek out once treasured items, whether that be sneakers, baseball cards or even watches, that we either lost or could not afford at the time - and it seems Mayer is no different.

John also appears to be equally excited about more recent Casio G-Shock releases, including the NASA x G-Shock DW5600NASA20-7 – a photo of which he proudly posted on an Instagram Story back in 2020. Although on-stage appearances are usually dominated by ultra complicated Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe timepieces, on occasion it would not be unusual to witness G-Shock Mudmaster or Frogman watches in the mix.

The Namesake Daytona(s): John Mayer's Rolex Daytona Ref. 116508 and Ref. 116509

Discussed during ‘Talking Watches 2’ with John Mayer, the 46th episode in the series, the yellow gold Daytona with a green dial (Ref. 116508) and the less talked about white gold Daytona with a midnight blue dial (Ref. 116509) were singled out as “sleeper hits” that “could be something special down the road”.

Mayer was immediately drawn to these watches given their slightly off-kilter characteristics, including coloured dials and all metal construction. Ironically, John enjoys “looking past the hype” but as with many items given the sign of approval by John Mayer, the video had a knock-on effect and saw prices of the yellow gold version climb – and to a lesser extent, the white gold variant too. Sadly for those who are looking to add this to their inventory, 2023 saw the discontinuation of both references - which is great news for those who already own it.

A few pristine examples of the yellow gold “John Mayer” Daytona sometimes find their way into our shop, so it would be worth keeping an eye on our webstore and Instagram page for a chance to scoop up a reference that is almost guaranteed to become more collectable over time.

Not an Ordinary Travel Time: John Mayer's Patek Philippe Ref. 5164A Aquanaut Travel Time

Boldly described by Mayer himself as the “Chuck Taylor of Patek Philippe” – alluding to its versatility – as well as “the watch you wear when you just want to wear a watch” without making a statement. His go to piece for most situations has a GMT function and, despite its steep price tag, is as practical as it gets. An important distinction must be drawn that this particular example is, naturally upon closer inspection, Tiffany-signed, which automatically bumps up the value by a fair percentage.

In John’s opinion, wearing one of these in public would strongly imply to others that the owner definitely has other heavy hitters at home. In fact, if that is not the case, simply possessing this watch would be a clever way to “skip the queue”, as it were – with or without the double signed Tiffany & Co. dial.

Always ahead of the curve, John somehow had the foresight to swap the strap on his Travel Time to an OEM olive drab (‘camo green’, officially) rubber strap just one month before Patek announced that they would be discontinuing that colour – with a few uncut, unworn spares to boot. As most readers may know, a little later down the line the 5168G white gold Aquanaut would be introduced which carries with it a very similar, if not identical, colour scheme with a matching ‘khaki green’ dial.

Controversial But Uber Functional: John Mayer's Apple Watch Ultra

The introduction of the Apple Watch caused a stir when it was released alongside the iPhone 6 in 2014. Since then, it has gone on to become the best selling watch in the market – surpassing Swiss juggernauts like Rolex and eclipsing other competitors in the smartwatch space in terms of units sold. Despite high profile partnerships with the likes of Hermès, the target demographic for these technological marvels are decidedly different to collectors that focus on mechanical movements and delicate hand finishing.

Though some in the watch community detest its widespread popularity, some industry heavyweights have decided to embrace the unrivalled functionality that these products offer. In his own words, the Ultra is “[t]he first Apple Watch that excited me as a mechanical watch collector” – being loaded with what he terms “aspirational functionality”. Being an outdoor lifestyle hobbyist, John appreciated the nifty innovations packed into the robust 49mm titanium case, including GPS waypoint tracking, depth gauge, dive computer and 86-decibel siren. A ringing endorsement from Mr. Mayer is unlikely to affect the sales figures of the Cupertino behemoth to the same extent as other high horology pieces - but as far as unpaid ads go, it doesn’t get much better. 

That’s a ‘Hot One’: John Mayer's Rolex Rainbow Daytona Ref. 116599

Talk show formats have evolved at a rapid pace since the advent of YouTube, and one of the most creative reinventions of the genre to have been birthed from this phenomenon is ‘Hot Ones’ on the First We Feast channel. The premise is simple enough - a celebrity guest is put through their paces with a series of chicken wings doused in increasingly intense hot sauces. All the while, host Sean Evans poses well-researched questions for each wing devoured. Participants must conquer all ten levels of the fiery inferno and winners are then given the opportunity to plug their latest album, movie or project.

John Mayer bravely appeared on the season 5 finale, showing up in a grey T-shirt (likely from Visvim with tie-dye undershirt peeking out) and distressed jeans – and a flashy Rainbow Daytona in the white gold variant. This rare Daytona is covered in gems including 36 baguette-cut rainbow-graded sapphires on the bezel and diamond-set lugs. John admits that he “[doesn’t] quite know who the target audience is” from an aesthetic standpoint. Ever the completionist, also in his collection is the Ref. 6270, arguably the original baguette pavé dial Daytona which were manufactured in frighteningly small quantities (disputed between 8 or 10 of each in existence). Fielding questions left and right, John does his best to work through the pain but this hardly distracts from the fact that it is unequivocally hilarious to wear a US$500,000 watch to eat hot wings.

Man Of The People: John Mayer's Tudor Heritage Black Bay

Tudor has been on a roll lately. Fresh off of Watches & Wonders 2023, the brand unveiled one of the simplest but most talked about releases – the Black Bay 54, a time-only stainless steel diver with a shrunken form factor of 37mm. Rewind a few years and one might discover that Mr. Mayer is also a fan of the modestly priced Black Bay range. He has made his love known on not one, but several occasions – starting with a written review of the inaugural 41mm Heritage reference. Back then, the popular model still featured the original Tudor rose logo on the dial and was powered by an ETA movement – not to mention the curved ‘smiley’ text paying homage to vintage designs. Some elements have carried over into current versions, including the stunning gilt-effect dial. For anyone still on the fence about the pedigree of the approachable diver, “for just over $3,000 [retail prices have risen slightly since], you can be a watch guy with the best of them”. It just goes to show that snobbery has no place even in the high end watch community.

In addition to the original model, John has sported the Black Bay GMT “Pepsi” during his on-the-fly style “Current Mood” Instagram talk show and sang praises of the bronze version that Tudor eventually also made in the more compact Fifty-Eight 39mm size. It however would not be a true John Mayer commentary without an exclusive friends and family piece. In a fleeting Instagram Story, John publicly expressed his thanks to the Undefeated team for gifting him a Tudor Black Bay with a blue bezel and Undefeated logo on the dial. These were limited to a small batch of 50 so don’t expect to see them pop up on secondary listings.

Though it may not be the most diverse of collections when it comes to brands, it certainly exhibits range and a level of discipline that has been refined over decades of collecting - running the gamut from G-Shock to shockingly rare Patek Philippe references. Whether or not you enjoy his songs, Mayer may have directly or indirectly influenced a past purchase or future acquisition. Fans and critics alike can recognize what John Mayer brings to the table when it comes to watches.

Following the accessibility of his most recent Casio collaboration, John has teased a forthcoming collaboration that sits on the other end of the spectrum. Some have speculated that it would be with the house of Audemars Piguet, a brand that he has fervently supported throughout his watch collecting journey. There are social media outlets dedicated to identifying timepieces on celebrity wrists (including our friends at @celebwatchspotter), and there have been murmurs that John is either showing off a piece unique during concerts or road testing a potential collaborative piece. The watch in question bears remarkable resemblance to the Royal Oak Tourbillon Extra-Thin Ref. 26510PT but appears to feature a white tinted dial instead of the phenomenal smoked ‘Fumé’ grey dial introduced at SIHH 2016. With no official announcement on the cards as of yet, we are offered no alternative but to wait with bated breath.