Al Capone Watch Collection - Every Watch He's Been Spotted Wearing

Al Capone currently has 1 watches in his collection.  Check them in our database.

Introduction to Al Capone

Al Capone (1899–1947) was the most recognizable organized crime figure in American history. Rising to power in Chicago during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and early 1930s, Capone led the Chicago Outfit, a criminal syndicate that controlled bootlegging, gambling, and prostitution operations across the city. His public profile was deliberately cultivated — he attended boxing matches, opera performances, and charity soup kitchens with equal enthusiasm, presenting himself as a man of means and community standing. He was convicted of federal tax evasion in 1931 and sentenced to eleven years in prison, effectively ending his reign. Despite his violent reputation, Capone remained a figure of cultural fascination for decades after his death.

The Al Capone watch collection, as far as surviving documented pieces confirm, centers on a single extraordinary artifact: a custom-commissioned Illinois Watch Company pocket watch that came to public attention when RR Auction offered it in 2017. The watch realized $84,375 at hammer, a price driven by its direct, documented provenance to Capone himself. Illinois Watch Company, founded in Springfield, Illinois in 1869, was a respected American manufacturer known for producing railroad-grade movements and fine dress pocket watches — the kind of timepiece a man projecting wealth and legitimacy in the 1920s would logically choose. That Capone had this piece custom-made rather than simply purchased off the shelf speaks to his preference for objects that signaled personal status.

What makes this piece particularly notable among collector circles is its case geometry. Rather than a conventional round or rectangular form, the watch was housed in a Reuleaux triangle case crafted in 14K gold — an unconventional choice that sets it apart from standard production pieces of the period. For watch collectors and crime historians alike, the item sits at a rare intersection of horological curiosity and documented American history. It is not a watch that would stand out purely on mechanical grounds, but its provenance elevates it into a category few pocket watches can claim.

Al Capone Spotted Wearing Illinois Watch Company Diamond Pocket Watch