5 superhero watches: Marvel and DC Comics characters meet Rolex and Audemars Piguet in these coveted comic book timepiece collabs, selling for up to US$5 million
- Audemars Piguet and Marvel Entertainment kicked off their partnership with the Royal Oak Concept ‘Black Panther’ Flying Tourbillon, limited to just 250 pieces
- Check out Rolex’s Batman and the Hulk, or the Avengers tourbillon collection at Hong Kong’s Memorigin – there’s even a Joker model for the supervillain lovers
If the idea of a comic book-inspired watch only conjures up visions of plastic pieces sold in airport shops, the cast your mind back to Gerald Genta and the luxury Mickey Mouse watch, a 2008 model of which sold for HK$138,600 (US$18,000) not too long ago.
The 42mm watch has a white gold 3D image of the titular hero on its dial, and its purple inner bezel and rubber strap reference the metal vibranium – another invention from the film. The flying tourbillon can be seen at 6 o’clock while the bridges, seen through the sapphire caseback, feature the same Black Panther motif as the dial. It is priced at around US$161,000, with a Unique Piece raising US$5.2 million for charity.
The Rolex GMT-Master II 116710 BLNR has always been known by its many fans as the Rolex Batman for its black-and-blue colour tones. Launched in 2013, it was officially discontinued in 2019 and is currently fetching around US$20,000 in the secondary market.
The watch features a classic 40mm Oyster case and bracelet in stainless steel, plus a black dial with white indices and a blue GMT hand. Rolex was the pioneer in showing two time zones at once and the Batman emphasises this with a ceramic bezel, half black and half blue. Reviewers and buyers have always been intrigued by the way the blue colour seems to react with light.
