Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Tyler the Creator spotted wearing Cartier

Tyler The Creator was photographed at what appears to be a Golf Wang pop-up or retail activation, wearing a bold black-and-white graphic sweater and his signature 'F*' cap — and on his wrist, unmistakably, the Cartier Pebble Limited Edition reissue in yellow gold with a tan leather strap. The sighting is consistent with Tyler's long-established reputation as one of the most serious Cartier collectors in hip-hop, a scene dominated by diamonds and AP Royal Oaks.

The Cartier Pebble traces its origins to 1972, when the London boutique — then operating autonomously from both the Paris and New York maisons — commissioned a run of highly unconventional watches. The case shape, an organic cushion form that literally mimics a smooth pebble, was radical for its era and produced in extremely limited numbers, virtually all in 18k yellow gold. The reissue unveiled in 2021 honors that lineage faithfully: an 18k yellow gold case housing a manual-wind movement, a cream dial with blued steel hands and Roman numerals, and a sapphire caseback. Production was capped at 150 pieces worldwide, making it immediately one of the most desirable modern Cartier references.

From a collector standpoint, the Pebble occupies a unique position in the Cartier canon. It is neither a Santos nor a Tank — the two pillars of the brand's commercial identity — but rather an artifact of the era when individual Cartier outposts had genuine creative autonomy. Vintage examples in good condition rarely surface and command serious premiums at auction. The 150-piece reissue, while technically accessible at launch through Cartier boutiques, sold out almost immediately and has traded significantly above retail on the secondary market ever since.

Tyler The Creator has built one of the most credible watch collections in music, with a clear preference for Cartier's more esoteric and archival references over flashier alternatives. Seeing him in the Pebble rather than a Crash or a Panthere signals a level of research and connoisseurship that goes well beyond celebrity gifting. It is a deliberate choice by someone who evidently studies the brand.

On the grey market, the Cartier Pebble 150-piece reissue currently trades in the $50,000–$70,000 range depending on condition and provenance — a substantial premium over its already elevated retail price. For a 150-piece limited edition with genuine historical resonance, that trajectory is entirely justified.