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This Rare Supreme-Branded Rolex May Be The Most Obnoxious Watch Ever

There’s perhaps only one brand on the planet more desirable than Supreme, and that’s Rolex. But what about a collaboration between the pair? Shut up and take my money.

As it happens, this is no mere hypebeast’s pipe dream. There is indeed such a thing as a Supreme Rolex. Now, in 2021, one New Yorker has got his hands on one and has put it up for sale – and it’s one rude piece of wrist candy.

Justin Reed, a creative who’s quickly gained a reputation for his ability to source rare and desirable streetwear and other ‘hyped’ collabs, caused a stir earlier this week when he listed one of these rare and desirable watches for sale on his e-commerce platform. He’s also shed some light on the history of these watches, which were once considered nothing but a rumour.

“[In 2013], Supreme decided to customize a small handful of Rolex watches and gift them to a select group of friends and family members of the company.. it is believed that only 20 of these exclusive watches were ever produced,” he explains.

The caseback of the watch is engraved with Supreme’s famous ‘box’ logo. Image: @justinreed

Specifically, the Submariner ref. 114060 ‘No Date’ was the model chosen for the family and friends release, with well-known British watch customiser Bamford Watch Department tapped for the commission. In this sense, it wasn’t a collaboration between Rolex and Supreme per se – although the watches can be considered ‘official’ Supreme goods, if you catch our drift.

“The extent of the customization work was overall rather subtle and minimal,” Reed continues. “Supreme’s ‘FUCK EM’ slogan appears in bold, red text above the Submariner name on the dial (more than slightly reminiscent of a red-line Submariner or Sea-Dweller), and the case-back is engraved with Supreme’s signature ‘box’ logo.”

Imagine being bold enough to walk around with that on your watch’s dial… Let alone wear such a rare Rollie.

Mounted on an Oyster bracelet, the watch Reed has for sale is far from mint condition – chipped and worn, it was a watch that saw action (which we actually respect). That said, it comes with its original box, wallet, manual/chronometer certification and Rolex warranty card, as well as a unique Supreme ‘warranty card’ which adds further credence to its official status.

Speaking of rare Rolexes, check out our round-up of the five most expensive Rolexes of all time below.

The price? Reed’s asking US$100,000… Or almost 10 times the retail price of a normal Submariner. Bloody hell. Undoubtedly, this is a rare and desirable watch, but we’re not quite sure who the target market for it is.

The average Supreme fan is probably too young and not wealthy enough to spend $100,000 on a watch. Those who would have that sort of money would probably baulk at the fact it’s pretty pre-worn, as well as the fact that you’re paying a huge premium just to say ‘fuck’ to the world.

But maybe that’s the appeal. Supreme has built its reputation on in-your-face branding and being provocative. They’re a status symbol and counter-cultural force all rolled into one. Rolexes, too, are unmistakable status symbols; they’re hardly subtle watches.

All we know is that we’d rather pay $100,000 for this thing than wear one of Supreme’s Jacob & Co. collaborations…

2012: Abloh founds Pyrex Vision

After completing an internship with Italian luxury house Fendi and working as rapper/cultural heavyweight Kanye West’s creative right-hand man, Abloh founded his first clothing brand, Pyrex Vision, in 2012. Graphic-heavy and influenced by street culture, Pyrex Vision was the public’s first introduction to Abloh’s iconic signature aesthetic.

Notoriously, Abloh (allegedly) purchased deadstock Ralph Lauren flannels for $40 each, screen printed them with ‘Pyrex 23’ and sold them for $550 each. True or not, it’s a moment that speaks to Abloh’s uncanny understanding of modern fashion, ‘hype’ culture and streetwear.

Abloh told Complex back in 2013 that Pyrex Vision was “a representation of the importance of youth culture. The now. It’s basically my manifesto on my upbringing. Putting my idea in a unique way so that kids can participate. I just wanna start a brand that inspires and is geared towards youth. The internet generation, these kids that you see here today. It is all for them.”

2013: Off-White makes its debut

In 2013, Abloh rebranded Pyrex Vision as Off-White, which is now one of the most in-demand brands on the planet. A cultural tour de force, Off-White is treated with the same sort of reverence as names like Supreme, Gucci, BAPE, Prada, Rolex or Louis Vuitton (who Abloh would eventually end up at). It’s an inextricable part of the modern fashion pantheon.

Blurring the lines between luxury fashion and streetwear, Off-White’s signature use of Helvetica font, stylised quotation marks, zip ties and barricade tape has spawned countless imitators. There are now Off-White boutiques across the globe and in the world’s most famous department stores, from Selfridges to Sydney.

A crucial part of Off-White’s success has been Abloh’s collaborative spirit, with the label having penned dozens of high-profile collaborations with big-name brands and fellow designers such as Rimowa, IKEA, Moncler, Champion, Byredo and Nike, just to name a few. On that note…

2017: Nike ‘The Ten’ collaboration

In 2017, Abloh kicked off his most successful and recognisable collaboration: that between Off-White and sportswear giant Nike. The result was ‘The Ten’, a reimagining of ten of the most iconic sneakers of the 20th century.

Deconstructed and visually distinct, ‘The Ten’ was immediately successful, with shoes selling out immediately… And resold for more than ten times the original price, in some cases. It was the epitome of hype culture: ‘The Ten’ catapulted Abloh into the public consciousness and sparked a renewed interest in limited-edition sneakers.

The collaboration between Nike and Abloh quickly moved beyond those ten sneakers, with Abloh adding activewear, additional sneaker models and a variety of different colourways to the mix over the years. While Abloh would go on to produce his own Off-White sneakers (as well as revisit sportswear during his time at Louis Vuitton), ‘The Ten’ remains his best-known work and perhaps the most iconic sneaker capsule of all time.

2018: Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton show

Kid Cudi walks the runway for Virgil Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton menswear collection in 2018. Image: Getty

In 2018, Abloh became the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line – the first person of African descent to lead the brand’s menswear line, as well as one of the few Black designers at the helm of a major French fashion house.

While his tenure at the Maison has many high points to choose from – such as the brand penning its first athlete endorsement in skateboarder Lucien Clarke or the multimedia blitz that was his Zoooom with Friends AR concept – Abloh’s first show for LV, a sumptuous affair at the Palais-Royal gardens in Paris, stands out as a particular triumph and is easily one of the most iconic fashion shows of the last decade, if not the 21st century.

Star-studded both on and off the runway, it was a potent celebration of Black excellence and a changing of the guard in haute couture. Abloh’s close connections to the music world were a crucial part of the show: not only did rappers like Kid Cudi, Playboi Carti and A$AP Nast walk the runway as models, but BADBADNOTGOOD performed live, playing Kanye covers. The event cemented Abloh’s status as one of the most dynamic creatives on the planet.

2020: Mercedes-Benz collaboration

Virgil Abloh’s ‘Project Geländewagen’. Image: Mercedes-Benz

2020 saw Abloh collaborate with renowned German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz on ‘Project Geländewagen’: a unique art/concept car based on the marque’s famous G-Series SUV, also known as the G-Wagen. True to form, Abloh applied his signature deconstructed aesthetic to the boxy 4×4, turning it into a sort of weathered race car.

At the time, it was a rather controversial collaboration. Esquire Middle East called it “a hot mess”, and HYPEBEAST posed the pointed rhetorical question: “who is it for?” But as Ted Gushue, founder of Type7, adroitly put it at the time, “what it is ‘for’ is to act as a Trojan horse to get an entire generation of kids who live in cities who never ever ever think about cars or car design interested and engaged.” In that sense, it was genius.

While all these moments (and many more) are special, Abloh’s G-Wagen really epitomises the man’s influence and character. Regardless of what people thought about his artistic process, Abloh always knew how to spark a conversation. He had a unique and singular vision that few other designers before or perhaps since have ever had.

We’d say his 17-year-old self would be very proud.

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