EARLIER this year, Rolex celebrated the 100th anniversary of its groundbreaking Oyster line with a new generation of Oyster Perpetual watches – including one of its most eye-catching (and divisive) designs in years.

We are talking, of course, about the ‘Jubilee motif’ Oyster Perpetual 36 and its monogrammed lacquer dial. Achieved using super-precise pad printing, the Big Crown’s name is broken up into tessellating letters, creating a typographic patchwork. The ‘Jubilee’ dial motif (often referred to as the “Computer” dial) dates back to the 1980s and has appeared on a number of models since, but it usually sticks to a single colour engraved in tonal shades – not 10, as on the Oyster Perpetual 36.

Image: Rolex

One man who isn’t afraid of a little colour – or spending big on a watch, for that matter – is Ed Sheeran. The British singer-songwriter has a formidable collection of timepieces, which he regularly flashes beneath his typically bright red-carpet tailoring. By our count, he already has at least 10 Rolexes at his disposal, including a brand-new Land-Dweller, a ‘Le Mans’ Cosmograph Daytona and a Rainbow Daytona. Now you can add the Jubilee Oyster to that list.

In a recent video posted by Friends star Courteney Cox, in which her long-time friend makes a big mess of emptying some pasta in a bowl in her spotless kitchen, celebrity watch-spotter extraordinaire @niccoloy pointed out that Sheeran was wearing one of Rolex’s boldest new releases.

The ‘Jubilee’ feels like a spiritual successor to 2023’s ‘Celebration’ watch, which saw Rolex cover the Oyster Perpetual 36’s turquoise-blue lacquer dial with 51 multicoloured bubbles. Much like with the aforementioned ‘Jubilee’ and the Emoji-laced ‘Puzzle’ edition in 2024, the ‘Celebration’ divided opinion on its release. Some praised its playful, irreverent pop-art aesthetic, while others felt it strayed too far from tradition – but it found plenty of celebrity fans, including Tom Holland, Lionel Messi and Ryan Reynolds, before being discontinued last year.

We wouldn’t be surprised if Sheeran has one tucked away in his watch box, either.

From Esquire UK

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