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The Underdog’s On Top

A conversation between Lincoln Salazar and 50 Cent

Photography by Eric Michael Roy

LS: Welcome to The Enthusiast Report. How have you been, 50?

50 Cent: I’m good, I’ve had the chance to work on my little golf swing. I haven’t gotten it all the way right yet, but I’m still working.

LS: Last time we were together I was really nervous before we went golfing because I didn't know how good of a golfer you were. Have you golfed since?

50 Cent: No. I haven't gone to the drive since, but I got some custom clubs and I've learned how to use them. A lot of the successful guys are out on the courses, and because they're older, they are able to talk to the younger guys that are there and thriving. A lot of really big business deals are made on golf courses - people decide to finance someone’s idea.

LS: Right, you get four hours to spend time with someone, and get to know him a little bit.

50 Cent: And they’ll whoop your ass because they know how to do it.

LS: Some are real competitive.

50 Cent: Yeah, they’ve already mastered the technique.

LS: You've had a lot going on the last couple of years, you've got your new shows, you have BMF Immortal.

50 Cent: Yes, BMF Immortal is like the Power universe. The success of Power was great, it was like I hit the bull's eye first. And then Fox came in with Empire and Snowfall and other great projects. I like them too, but being in premium allowed me to be as graphic as the environment is, to say things the way people would say them in the environment. That struck a chord in the audience. For the first time they were seeing themselves in the characters and the flaws and different things, it made people really get into it. From Power, the spinoffs were Raising Kanan, Ghost, and Force, and those projects were number one, two, and three of the highest-rated shows in African American and Latino households. And then BMF made fourth place. So it's now, one, two, three, and fourth highest-rated shows in African American and Latino households.

LS: Congratulations. That's amazing.

50 Cent: Since the success of that, I've been able to talk to stars and get them excited about expanding the universe. But I’ll do [BMF] spin-offs differently. The way I did it through Power was very different from the new spin-offs that they’ll see from BMF Immortal. It’s cool, sometimes we’ll switch perspectives, we’ll show the law enforcement perspective instead of the actual hustler side or aspirational side. It runs through so many people that connect with it. We all have a streak of rebel in us, sometimes we’ll find ourselves rooting for the bad guy.

LS: When you guys are producing, do you try to make it so the bad guy looks as if he's the good guy and the audience can relate to him? Is that something you're trying to accomplish? Does it happen naturally?

50 Cent: I think some people go bad. They make bad decisions, they're not necessarily bad people, the route is bad. It comes from them not having resources. If you can run a crew that's that successful selling drugs in this climate, you could run a Fortune 500 company. The maintenance that it takes, do you know how often someone gets in trouble and decides to tell on someone else just to get themselves out of the situation and back of the streets? For you to make it to that height, it would take really good people skills.

LS: They would have be kind of charismatic.

50 Cent: And you would have be a great judge of character. You know, the most expensive thing we spend is time.

LS: All you have is time, right?

50 Cent: That’s why the biggest punishment you can receive is time.

LS: That's true.

50 Cent: They can take the time away from you.

LS: I believe that every person should serve a little bit of time. I know that sounds crazy, but my belief is that until you've been in that situation, you don't really understand what it is to lose everything.

50 Cent: And the circumstances to people's stories. I think when you look at cinematography itself, is art imitating life. When you see people make choices, it could be choices instead of power. Power means the same thing in every language, it's the same symbol on every television, no matter where you go in the world. I had a fragrance that came out four years before the series came out and it was Power because I felt like it defined who I was and what I was trying to do at that point. So when the series came around and it was time to name it, I came back with the same because I already had the trademark for power.

LS: What do you think your superpower is?

50 Cent: Finding a place to be secure when you're not in such a secure environment. I'm always dealing with people that achieved a higher level of education than me, college graduates from Harvard. When [I’m in that situation], what I hold on to is I am valedictorian of the School of Hard Knocks, and I have graduated with honors. I have the ability to use what a lot of people don't have, people that are great at school can retain information long enough to pass midterms, but they don't necessarily internalize the information.

LS: It doesn't always translate to real life either. A lot of these a lot of people, especially those with higher education, that's what they've lived off their whole life. It's like having this great tool, but some use it and some don’t. A lot just seek education their whole life.

50 Cent: There are circumstances where people are really smart and they lack common sense because they just don't use it.

LS: There's a saying money is the root of all evil. Do you believe that money is the root of all evil or that the lack of money is the root of all evil?

50 Cent: I think money is the root of all evil.

LS: Really? I think it's the lack of money.

50 Cent: Well, it'll make you do things, the lack of it. If you took a woman that was walking through the mall and you snap your fingers her clothes disappeared, she would probably need to talk to a shrink about the experience… But if she said to herself, fuck this, I got to get this money because I got bills to pay, she could get butt-ass naked and twerk to do it. That’s what we see in the strip club.

LS: That's because of the lack of money right?

50 Cent: It’s because to get it, to get the money, it’ll make you compromise your moral compass and the way you've been raised, because they don't necessarily come from broken homes. Not all of them. They’ll make that choice because of how much money is involved in the lifestyle.

LS: Yeah, I think that's true.

50 Cent: I mean, when you see really attractive people, men or women, if your appearance is your largest asset, you're going to do some hoe shit.

LS: So with the show, do you think that your characters got where they were because of the society they’re in?

50 Cent: I think it's really important to show, specifically the Flannery's, that origin story, because you see how someone can make those choices. You can see when there's not enough food, how a person would be like, ‘well, let's do this because it's here and it's the fastest solution to the problem.’ When you look up and see people that have what you would view as financial freedom from that perspective, and that's the route that they took, it feels like the way to go. It doesn't have requirements. And for a guy that when it's starting in their youth, starting at an age where they're not even responsible for their own behavior. They're still minors.

LS: They’re still developing, so they think it's the way.

50 Cent: A lot of the stuff that we see, the criminal activity and gang culture, it’s young guys that haven't developed consequential thinking yet. I don't think they really know what they're doing. There are a lot of wet pillows in prison, under the circumstances of being incarcerated, while they’re alone. They're crying, but they're not doing it in front of anybody.

LS: Do you believe that gang culture if done positively, transfers in some way to entrepreneurship or business? I mean, in the last couple of years alone you’ve launched Sire Spirits, you’ve cut deals with sports teams. All in a couple of years. It takes people years to do that. And I know you were just starting with the cognacs the first time we talked, but what are some of the stadiums you guys are in now?

50 Cent: Sacramento Kings, I did a deal with the Indiana Pacers, I did a deal with the Houston Rockets, the Astros - shout out to the Astros, they won the World Series.

LS: Did you have anything to do with that?

50 Cent: Of course. I’m a good luck charm. They signed the deal and ‘poof’ everything goes the right way. Who does that?

LS: So back to that. Do you feel that gang culture can, if done in a positive way, can convert to entrepreneurship or business?

50 Cent: Absolutely. Anytime people gather, regardless if you call it gang culture or if you call it a group of entrepreneurs, or a group of people that are working in one direction…

LS: A gang is a business in some ways, you have your CEO, CFO..

50 Cent: You'll find more ruthless people in business than you'd find in a neighborhood. What I think makes people ruthless is tunnel vision, when they’re extremely focused and they're going in that direction. Even the district attorney, is putting them in jail and doesn't care, he just wants the highest-profile convictions they can get to move themselves up. No matter how many people that come through that they give, Lord knows, how much time. They just want to move forward. They want to be successful.

LS: I have a statement that I kind of live by when it comes to business, something I've developed over the last 20 years.

50 Cent: You work harder when you work for yourself.

LS: Yeah, exactly. Ibelieve there are three things that it takes in order to make someone well-balanced in business. There are three things. There's a hustler, an entrepreneur and a businessman. If you're a hustler, you're thinking short term, you're going out to get that money, you're making that quick buck. You don't care who you burn. It doesn't matter short term. Then you have the entrepreneur who's more of like a visionary, they have the plan, they're like the artist. They see the vision, they see the downward vision. And then you have a businessman, let's say corporate America. They're looking at the numbers, they don't always see the vision and they don't always see the hustle. They just say, What's the number? That's all they care about. Now, if you're too many of any one of these three things, if you’re too much of a hustler you’re too short-term. If you're an entrepreneur, you might get lost in the art of it and never make any money. And if you're a businessman, you might not see the vision or see the hustle. Out of those three categories. Which one do you believe you are today? Hustler, entrepreneur or businessman, or all three?

50 Cent: I've gone through training camp. In the beginning, it's hustler because it's survival. The short-term goal is a great enough accomplishment. You're hustling, you do what you gotta do. And then as you get to a stage of you perceiving yourself as an entrepreneur, people say it and they're not necessarily entrepreneurs at that point. I think entrepreneurs have already researched the direction they're going in so they have information.

LS: And that's a loose term today, especially with the younger generation. Everyone’s an entrepreneur.

50 Cent: My interpretation of [an entrepreneur] is someone who has quiet information about how it actually works. They may not necessarily have the resources to execute it, but they’re working in that direction for it to be a success. It’s textbook business, what you should expect in business. It's easier to conduct, like if a person is extremely successful, they'll have a team. So there are lawyers and other people that would catch things, and be like ‘you've got to change this.’ Lawyers think a little differently. They think about everything that can go wrong. So you have to balance that. I have general counsel, but I didn't have that in the very beginning.

LS: You have to direct them sometimes, too, right? If not they'll kill a company within seconds.

50 Cent: They'll kill an idea before it even takes off because they're exploring everything that could go wrong when everything's going to go right … If you know instinctively that this is something that will work, it's a no-brainer, then you just go do it. I've done it against my lawyer's wishes at that point.

LS: And that's either the entrepreneur in you or the hustler in you.

50 Cent: I'm like, ‘you don't know everything. I'm telling you this is going to work.’ And when it works, he goes, ‘yeah, you're right. You made the right call.’

LS: Of those three, hustler, entrepreneur, or businessman, which one do you think you are most today?

50 Cent: Well, I'm still an entrepreneur.

LS: Which is true. You’re a producer. You have your spirit brands, cognac, and champagne. You just got the World Series.

50 Cent: Every time you see me, it's something different, right? But I'm always there. You have other guys that have been around for a long time, especially in the culture of hip hop, which is connected to youth culture. They have very low attention spans. So it’s out with the old and in with the new. The guys that stick around have significance, they have been able to transition and maneuver themselves through everything that goes on. Let’s say there’s a new guy that's coming up that was extremely influenced by the material you created when you came in. He loves you, he still likes you as an artist, but he goes, ‘Yo, you heard his new [music]? Yeah, it's hot, but it's not like when his first music came out.’ This is because if you stay in that position you were in when you first came out, how does he have his shot? How can he have his chance at it. They do that instinctively, the clouds that come over established artists are being created by the new talent, even the ones that didn't make it yet. They go, ‘Oh, that's cool.’ But they want the new one, the new thing that just happened.

LS: You're always evolving.

50 Cent: When you have a moment, it feels like magic with music because it's something you preconditioned yourself for. Some of these guys are better than me at making music. They're better than me because they don't have to work as hard as me to get where I was when I made the best music that was happening at that point. I’ve been writing music since ‘97 full time. I thought I was ready with Columbia Records, with my 1999 album. I didn't have any success till 2003 with Eminem and Shady Aftermath and Dr. Dre. It took four long years of already creating music that was up to standard and that people clearly appreciate it, but it's not the hit music that people recognize. It took going through all of the things that I went through in [those four years] for me to be ready for 2003.

LS: Was it like a camp for you, going through that process, especially with Dr. Dre?

50 Cent: It's all a camp. It’s not my time is not when it's going to happen, it's always God's time. Whatever your higher power is, I don't care, it's your higher power’s time. You'll feel like you're ready because you're working at it. Some people, they can rap the way we speak, it comes out that easy. Then because it's so easy, they don't know exactly what to rap about, they can't write a song to save thier fucking life. They don't know exactly which one to write or what energy to try and capture in the material. When you have moments and it's like, ‘go shawty, you should birthday,’ it's not rocket science, bro.

LS: How did that come up? Where were you sitting with that came up? Or were you at a birthday party and you were like, ‘oh, shit, this could be a song’?

50 Cent: You know, every day it's someone's birthday when you're in the nightclub environment. It’s a reason for you to enjoy yourself on the highest level. ‘It's my birthday, I’m going to go out, I’m going to have a good time.’ Your friends are around, you go out. It just popped into my head while I was hearing the music and I just said it. Simplicity is the key to a lot of the hits, a lot of the great things. When you stop trying to be a scientist with how crazy you articulate it, the metaphors, and you just… and overthinking everything.

LS: Put it out there.

50 Cent: You put it out there and it works. It’s kind of cheating when you have Dr. Dre and shit, when you have producers that proliferate around you. That is where the work is, positioning yourself to be next to things that are so great that you can achieve greatness. Producing records when Quincy Jones is the man, the baddest man in music. It's saying, ‘Give me that guy from over there to play the bass because that boy is bad and bring him in here with the keyboardists that we've met over there in Louisiana, because I ain't never seen nobody play the keys like that boy.’ When he's in the room together with that bass and the keyboardist and the drummer, they can make something that you're like, ‘Whoa, those are the hits for Motown.’ But they were live musicians doing it at that point and stages later I watched it being done without understanding what it was when I was seeing it. I watched Jimmy Iovine go, ‘Who produced that record?’ A new Chief Keef record comes, it goes, ‘Fuck nigga. That's the shit I don't like.’ He was saying stuff on the record that was so Chicago, so who he was at the moment. Fake true religion jeans, shit he don't like. But Jimmy would say, ‘Who produced that record? Get me that guy, bring him here. Put him in a room with Dr. Dre.’ And when you put him in a room with Dr. Dre, he’ll make his first trip to LA and he's in the room producing records with Dr. Dre, and they'd be doing it from a machine. There are distorted versions of the beats and stuff like that. And Dre can even hear where to use plug-ins to make the real drum sound so it has that vibe and that energy and can because he's just been in there for so long.

LS: Do you think it was his natural talent or do you think it was work?

50 Cent: I think that's a gift.

LS: You think it's a gift?

50 Cent: I think Dre has something that God just gave him.

LS: People are sometimes just born with it.

50 Cent: He's the guy… He’s grumpy, though. He's a grumpy old man. He might not be the guy you wanna hang out with, but he's the guy you want to get music from. Trust me. You want to listen to him and you want to learn from him.

LS: What are you enjoying the most right now? You're producing television, you have your music, and then you have your businesses. Which one are you enjoying the most? Which one is still your passion? If someone were to say you only get to pick one of the three, which is the one you're going to choose?

50 Cent: I would choose television.

LS: Really?

50 Cent: If I had to pick one of the three. I really enjoyed touring recently. It was because I was able to go outside of the country on a world tour. The tour started with four shows and Live Nation didn't believe in the run because they felt like something might go wrong from COVID because it's early, internationally. So I financed it, I went straight to venue with it. I didn't have any support acts.

LS: You bet on yourself.

50 Cent: I traveled 36 countries. We sold out the whole thing.

LS: That's unbelievable.

50 Cent: Yeah. And it was because they weren't moving like they would regularly move. There weren't a lot of competitive things happening at the same time, and people were ready to come back.

LS: When you're producing now, are you pitching the shows yourself? Do you have a team?

50 Cent: I'm in development, the whole thing. When you immerse yourself on one side of entertainment, the other side is exciting. My only entertainment has been film and television because I’m in music. With music I hear the artists, I was like ‘Oh, ok, I hear the creative choices they made and what they did. And I said, “Oh, but he could have done it like this, there's a version of it that I could have made.’ There's another version of that song of every song. Some musical elements, you’ll go ‘Now that was dope.’ That doesn't happen a lot. It excites you when you hear things that aren't in other records because it makes producers think outside the box. It makes artists pick different things.

LS: On your tour are you doing most of your classic music?

50 Cent: Yeah, I’ve done a lot of material, I performed some of the newer stuff as well.

LS: A lot of people when they go on tour, they'll drop a new record. But what I’ve found is a lot of people, especially huge fans, they want to go hear the classics.

50 Cent: Yes, like Prince, I would have rather hear Purple Rain than a lot of the shit he was performing. When you got that album that you go ‘this is the shit, I want to listen to the whole shit,’ that's a special period. You can't be that fire, nobody can. My core audience, the people who were influenced the most by that time period when the music came out, are now older. They're growing with me.

LS: Thirties, forties.

50 Cent: Now they're at home watching television. They'd have to drink they used to have in the nightclub, at home. Fucking wine cellar, they’re successful, bar at home. They have to drink at home instead of having it in the club. When you're 21 and you're in college and you're having your adult experience for the first time, the music at that point, the things that are dominating, are the theme music to your life. It was that night you saw her, the experience. She was the hottest thing you ever saw in your life. She wanted to suck your dick, like your dick specifically. And you knew it and you felt it to the point where you were going to talk to her, like you were sure. And then when it happened, you were like, ‘Oh my God, what the fuck just happened? Oh my goodness, I'm the best. This is the best night of my life.’ But when that happens, I was playing in the background. I wasn't involved in the transaction, but he never forgets that shit for the rest of his life, bro. And this is where you make a connection. Now, I'm not going to lie, that time period when he was the thing that no one could deny at that point, was the window where they were transitioning from a boy to a man or from a girl to a woman. That is monumental in their life. So I'm not finding a new audience. I'm finding my core audience when I’m on television. I know some of the things that were impressionable on me, on my run, and some of the things that they were exposed to that I can offer through film and television.

LS: The reason we invited you for The Enthusiast is because you're definitely an enthusiast, an enthusiast of music, business, you’re an enthusiast of life. So what's next as we wrap up?

50 Cent: There’s so much more. There are no limitations to how far you can take it, I'm enjoying it. I think there are some people who know how to live better than others. We just said the most expensive thing you spend is time, and [those people] are free-spirited, they just live. And they get a chance to really embrace things, to enjoy where they’re at, to travel the world, to see different things, expose themselves to different environments. If you're doing it with the right people, at the right times, I don't know how you can look at things and regret it at any point. We only do this once, there are no do-overs.

LS: There are no re-dos, you’re living the live act, you're on stage. You only get one life.

50 Cent: Let me get a redo, I’d go back to 18 to start over with this information, I’d fuck them up bad, bro. Give me a ‘back to the future’ right quick.

LS: What do you think changed your mentality on life? Have you always thought that way? Or was there a pivotal point in your career or your life where you had this [realization]? I think the same way, by the way, I haven’t worked for anyone since I was 17 years old. I understand the hustle, I understand entrepreneurship. That was a pivotal point. You're like, this is it, there are no redos. There are a lot of people that don’t get it, they take life for granted. They wake up every day, especially the younger generation, they'll sleep until 2pm and half the day is gone. I wake up stoked every day, don't you?

50 Cent: I find myself in crowds by myself. They're not necessarily thinking the same thing I'm thinking, what we're doing as a group. I think when you don't necessarily train yourself, you know how people say, ‘Oh, I'm an independent thinker,’ when it's already in you to just have your opinion on which way, which direction you should go. I'm not sure if you can train someone into…

LS: That mentality.

50 Cent: Right.

LS: I agree with you. I think a lot of times it’s just inherently in you.

50 Cent: Yeah, I think it's in a natural character. There's a point where you've achieved so much that its like, why exactly are you getting up this early? Why are you getting up this morning? You already have money in the bank.

LS: You're not that motivated.

50 Cent: Right. Why are you getting up today? You should just chill. Some people would choose to chill [but I will get up and] work because I find my interest and my enjoyment in the process. A lot of entrepreneurs they'll achieve something, and it'll only be until a new idea comes that they're after something completely different. Some guys make it to the top of the board and then don't know what the fuck do.

LS: They get content.

50 Cent: Yeah. They start saying, ‘okay, let's go to the moon, I want to go to the moon.’ What the fuck? If fatality is connected to something that is so beyond the normal behaviors, I go ‘oh, now maybe I shouldn't. I don't need that.’ People can create their own path, and do unnecessary things all the time and get comfortable with having the freedom to do it because the finances are there. I used to really like to ride motorcycles and I stopped because I couldn't afford to fall off and slide down the street and not be able to go on tour.

LS: I can't even get insured.

50 Cent: When I came back, I was like, ‘No, I'm cool.’ But before that, I had that daredevil energy in me. I would ride and see somebody else do something and go, ‘Oh, I want to try and do that too.’ Now it’s like you see a guy here, Willie, he has his foot on the back seat and then he’ll take his foot off and get off the bike. He's like, flying the bikes over here and he's still holding the shit and get back on it. And you go, ‘What the fuck? I didn't even know it was possible for you to do that shit, but I'm glad I'm not doing it anymore.’ When he falls.

LS: Not worth it.

50 Cent: When he falls it has to be because that was all that mattered. Those things are like public perception of you, there's points where people promote things that are not necessarily real. But because the public is aware of it in that way, it adds to your aura. So it's like when they say, this person is a billionaire. I've been a billionaire since 2007. I'm that far from where I came from that I've been a billionaire, financially. Everybody around me is being paid, the resources that I've compensated for them to be there. I really don't see things that I want that I can't go get. Except that building right there. That building right there, I can't just go get it.

LS: Not yet. You've still got plenty of time, right?

50 Cent: That's the shit. But everything else, you can get it, you can have it, I can have it if I want it. I don't want that building, I don't have that urge to have that, it's just who I am. This is why I'm saying I felt like that the whole time. You've got givers and takers, right? So when you’re with people, you'll feel them looking at you like, ‘I'm excited because he's such and such.’ They told you he's from the enthusiast report, and he's this guy. They’ll go, ‘Well, I want to meet him so I can talk to him and maybe this will happen for me, or maybe he'll finance my idea.’

LS: Yeah.

50 Cent: Those people are ‘takers’ because you see them wanting something.

LS: They just want something from you.

50 Cent: And then you have the guy that hears you talking about the idea and says, ‘Yes, that's a good idea. Let's do it. I'll finance it.’ He’s a giver. Financing means nothing to him. [He has] multiple other things going on, he just hears a great idea. When we talked about the golf course earlier, a lot of times that's what's happening on the golf course. The skill is acquired over time by the person that actually plays. The skill is going to matter, not now how many weights you picked up or anything else, and they're going to kick your ass out there because they've been out there…

LS: For years doing it.

50 Cent: Doing it and working on it and working on it.

LS: Like any other craft. The more you give, I believe, the more you get. A lot of people do not understand that. That's why takers are always like, ‘Why am I broke?’ It's because all you do is take.

50 Cent: I think it's an unwritten law to not need anything, to appear to not need anything. That would be one of the laws of power that they didn't put in the book as far as Robert Greene is concerned. We did the 50th law together, and I think he's an amazing writer. The significance in him is how he can run parallels through things that are going on today with historical figures. He’s an amazing history buff. The 50th law is me being fearless because I’ve already been in the worst circumstances. These new situations are so minor to me. When I say that appearing not to need anything is probably the only law unwritten, that’s what allows Bernie Madoff to have a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

LS: I don't need you. I value you.

50 Cent: My portfolio is full. So you can leave after he told you his portfolio is full and talk to your other wealthy friend and he says, ‘Yeah, I've got a few dollars put over there with him.’ You say, ‘Damn, he just turned me down.’ You [go back] and say, ‘Ok I know it used to be five, but let me give you ten billion.’

LS: It’s called a takeaway pitch.

50 Cent: They give up giving him more.

LS: I humbly thank you for coming out, I appreciate your time very much. We will sit down with you again. Your cognacs are doing amazing, your show are kicking ass. We're very excited. Thank you so much for your time and I appreciate it very much.

Vintage Watches to Inspire Your Own Collection 5

by Elisa Jordan

When it comes to accessories, watches are a staple. They are functional, but watches also contribute to your overall presentation. Style options for watches are as limitless as your budget, but for something especially different, many collectors opt for vintage. You’ll not only have an object that’s more likely to be unique, but it’s also a way to celebrate the legacy of fine timepieces. Moreover, it’s a great reason to dig into the world of watches and explore their heritage, how they’ve evolved, and their cultural influence. Once you develop a taste for classic watches, it can easily become an obsession.

The Omega Speedmaster has quite the history behind it. In 1965 it became the first watch NASA qualified for manned space flight. In fact, the Speedmaster became the official watch for NASA’s Gemini and Apollo programs. As part of the Gemini 4 mission, on June 3, 1965, astronaut Ed White became the first American to walk in space. For about 20 minutes, White floated in space with the help of a 23-foot tether and 25-foot umbilical. What was on his wrist during this historic moment? The Omega 105.003 with a handwound Caliber 321 chronograph movement. These days, collectors can still purchase the Omega Speedmaster Caliber 321 — which is still associated with White. For one like the man himself had, go with the ’65.

IWC Schaffhausen (1950s)

There were big changes in how the world operated after World War II, and watches were no exception. After the war, with Eastern Europe under the control of the Soviet Union and Germany’s economy in a dismal state, IWC International Watch Co. AG, or IWC Schaffhausen, regrouped. At this time, the Swiss company launched its Caliber 89 movement, which remained part of the collection until the 1990s. These days, the 1950s models are noted for their timeless elegance and classic good looks.

Since its release in 1976, the Nautilus collection from Patek Philippe has been a favorite of serious watch connoisseurs. In 2006, the 5711 debuted and was instantly a hit among fans of the brand. The company surprised the watch world by announcing the intention to discontinue the now-iconic Nautilus 5711 in 2021. Patek Philippe was true to its word — Nautilus models are still available, but the 5711 has officially been retired, making it extremely collectible. Over the years, the 5711 was offered in various precious metals and with different face colors. For the 2021 edition, though, Patek Phillipe gave collectors a special parting gift in the form of a collaboration with Tiffany & Co., and just 170 were created. If you can find one, you’ll join the likes of Jay-Z and Lebron James, both of whom are proud owners of the Nautilus 5711 with a Tiffany Blue face.

Rolex Daytona (1968)

One of the most famous watches of all time has to be Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona. A gift from his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, the watch sold at auction in 2017 for an astonishing $17,752,500. Part of that particular watch’s appeal was the inscription on the back from Woodward to Newman, who was a racing enthusiast: “DRIVE CAREFULLY ME.” Newman’s influence on the Rolex Daytona’s reputation has always remained strong with fans of Hollywood history, racing, and watches. He wore the timepiece so frequently that the watch became synonymous with the actor, earning the nickname “the Paul Newman.” The 1968 model is noted for its Art Decostyle influence and Valjoux 722 movement.

Vacheron Constantin American (1921)

In 1919, Vacheron was inspired to release a watch designed especially for the man with everything — that is, a car and a fine watch to wear while driving it. It was a time of change. World War I had ended, America was about to enter the era of the skyscraper, and cars were now the backbone of transportation. Among the features of the auto-inspired watch was a dial situated at a right slant. The idea was that it would be easier to read while cruising in a car with hands on a steering wheel. The concept of wristwatches was still relatively new, and they would have been much easier for keeping track of time while driving instead of having to check a pocket watch. Two years later, the watch gave way to a new look and model, the American. Now with refined numbers and different slant to the left, the American was just as ideal for formal attire as it was for driving. If a vintage model isn’t in the cards for you, there’s a modern reinterpretation of the design, known as the Vacheron Constantin American Historiques 1921.