Montero Lamar Hill, a.k.a. Lil Nas X, isn’t afraid to make a bold fashion statement. (Exhibit A: His bonkers Met Gala look.) It’s not exactly surprising, then, that the Grammy-winning rapper has been spotted wearing a watch by a horologer with a self-described “flagrant disregard for convention.”
Hill showed off a dazzling Roger Dubuis timepiece at the White Men Can’t Jump premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. (It also appears he showed off the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy, because why not?) The watch, known as the Excalibur Spider Carbon, showcases two very different forms of carbon. The 45 mm case, bezel, and bracelet are all crafted from carbon composite and set with an array of baguette-cut diamonds. (Diamond is made of carbon, remember?)
The watch’s menacing black colorway further accentuates the bling and renders the design particularly striking. Roger Dubuis has released more than 30 different riffs on the edgy Excalibur Spider, but this iteration offers just the right amount of sparkle for the red carpet. (Lil Nas X isn’t afraid of a diamond or two, as he demonstrated on the first Monday of May.)
Another highlight of the piece is the open-movement architecture. The caliber features the watchmaker’s signature skeletonized flying tourbillon with an upper carriage covered in more baguette-cut diamonds. Sitting at seven o’clock, the tourbillon makes one rotation in 60 seconds. The caliber also includes a power reserve indicator built like a fuel gauge as a nod to motorsport.
Open-worked timepieces actually date back to the 18th century, but the Swiss watch industry is now turning out some truly incredible contemporary designs. Roger Dubuis has become synonymous with skeletonized movements and executes them to the highest standards. Lil Nas X is clearly a fan.
The price of the wrist candy is also worth mentioning. The Excalibur Spider costs exactly $666,000. The number of the beast, 666, comes from chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation of the New Testament. It’s also the most widely recognized symbol of the Devil. You can just say it set you back about half a mil if you don’t want to sound too satanic.
