Eric Clapton’s Patek Philippe 5975R Chronograph 175th Anniversary For Sale

While browsing on Instagram the other day, I noticed a post from the popular watch account @Patekaholic about a particular Patek Philippe posted through the portal website 1stdibs, which showcases various luxury items for sale to be posted to a wider audience. After clicking through to the website of the seller – Xupes – about the watch in question, the previous owner of the timepiece stood out immediately. It belonged to guitar legend and seasoned watch collector, Eric Clapton.

Clapton is known to love timepieces, particularly Rolex and Patek Philippe. He even mentioned his love of Patek Philippe watches in his autobiography. He previously owned the only platinum Patek Philippe 2499 in private hands (the other example is in the Patek Philippe Museum), which sold at auction for US$3.6 million, a very rare Rolex Yacht-Master prototype based on a Daytona and a Rolex 6263 Daytona nicknamed “The Albino” due to its monochromatic white dial.

He sold a portion of his collection in 2003, and the prices reflected the current market conditions at the time. It is scary to think how much they would go for in today’s market, which has seen prices on vintage Rolex sport models skyrocket.

Over the years we have seen many of his watches appear at auction. These have ranged from gold Rolex Day-Dates to Patek Philippe chronographs with special dials. With the provenance of being owned previously by Clapton, these watches usually go for a premium over their high estimate.

The watch being sold by Xupes is a Patek Philippe 5975R Chronograph in rose gold, with a white multi-scale dial. This watch was released to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe. 400 pieces were produced in each variation of gold (rose, yellow and white) and 100 pieces in platinum.

The pièce de resistance of the provenance is on the certificate. Under the name and address section: “Monsieur Eric Clapton”. Definitely a cool talking point for whoever ends up purchasing the timepiece. The watch is listed here, at GBP 84,999. All photos by Xupes.