A new 320-page book from teNeues publishing, Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches, delves into the history of hip-hop culture through the lens of its most iconic accessory: the luxury watch.
Authored by Leon Schäfers, Jeanette Lang, and Tobias Kargoll of Hiphop.de, the book traces the timepiece’s journey from a defiant statement in 1970s New York City to a global symbol of hard-earned success. More than just a collection of approximately 300 color photographs, the volume aims to explore the emotional ties between the culture and the timepieces that represent aspiration and triumph.
The narrative opens in the early days of hip-hop, when jewelry and watches were essential declarations of self-worth. It then moves into the 1980s “Quartz Era,” where more accessible watches, like LL Cool J’s gold nugget watch, became canvases for individuality.
The book dedicates a chapter to the “Rise of the Rolex,” detailing how models like the Day-Date and Datejust became ultimate emblems of success. It recounts moments like EPMD, Run-DMC, and 2Pac personalizing these prestigious watches. One poignant detail concerns the legendary story of Tupac Shakur reportedly gifting his future nemesis The Notorious B.I.G. his first Rolex, a gesture of camaraderie that solidified the watch’s status within the culture.
The 1990s are covered as the “golden age of hip-hop,” where customization evolved into a visceral expression of identity. The book chronicles the “change on the dial” in the 2000s, ushered in by Jacob Arabo’s groundbreaking Five Time Zone watch. This era, dubbed the “Ice Age,” saw the democratization of luxury and the rise of diamond-laden “bustdown” watches.
The influence of manufacturers like Audemars Piguet, particularly through Jay-Z’s connection, is honored, as is the unexpected rise of the resilient Casio G-Shock. The journey concludes in the 2010s, as trap artists embraced “bigger, better, bolder” timepieces, including Patek Philippe and Richard Mille, completing what the authors term the “holy trinity of maximalist consumerism.”
Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches ($125) is available in the U.S. beginning Nov. 11, 2025, from teNeues and can be purchased at www.teneues.com.