Ellen DeGeneres’ Watch Collection - From Rolex to Patek Philippe

Even though The Ellen Show has ended, Ellen DeGeneres remains one of the more visible and popular comedians around. In addition, the fact that there were 3,277 episodes of The Ellen Show, allows us at Wrist Enthusiast a lot of opportunity to do one of our favorite things: watch spot. And Ellen surely hasn’t disappointed. Going through her collection, we can confidently say that it rivals those of celebrity collecting heavyweights like John Mayer and Kevin Hart. So let’s take a look at the watches in Ellen Degeneres’ collection.

Ellen Degeneres’ Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi

Ellen’s watch collection includes a heavy dose of Rolex, including both vintage and modern pieces. One of my personal favorites (partly because I own the watch myself) is Ellen’s Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” Ref. 126710BLRO. The watch is referred to by collectors as the Pepsi due to the the blue and red bidirectional, which happen to be the same colors in the Pepsi-Cola logo. The stainless steel GMT Pepsi on jubilee bracelet remains one of the hardest Rolexes to get, even though secondary market prices have come down a bit over the last few months. The Rolex GMT-Master II “Pepsi” Ref. 126710BLRO retails for $10,750 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116718LN

Ellen’s Pepsi isn’t the only Rolex GMT we have spotted her wearing. She has also been seen wearing the Rolex GMT-Master II Ref. 116718LN in yellow gold with green dial. Discontinued in 2019, the combination of green dial with yellow gold case and bracelet is not new to Rolex. The extremely popular “John Mayer” Daytona also has this combination (though with a sunburst green dial as opposed to the matte dial on the GMT). Because of the popularity of the green dial, the GMT-Master II Ref. 116718LN sells for around $65,000 USD on the secondary market, around $20,000 more than the same model with black dial.

Ellen Degeneres’ Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Ref. M126655

Ellen has also been spotted wearing the Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Ref. M126655. The Yacht-Master is fairly unique among Rolex models. It has a matte black, graduated cerachrom bezel not seen on other models. Additionally, it is only offered on a rubber Oysterflex bracelet. The bezel and rubber strap give the Yacht-Master a sporty look and feel, even though it is only offered in gold (yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold). The Yacht-Master 40 Ref. M126655 retails for $28,050 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Rolex Day-Date 40 Ref. 228206BLUSP

Baby blue watches are all the rage these days, thanks mostly to the hype built by the release of the ultra-limited Tiffany Blue Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711. While not Tiffany Blue, Rolex produces quite a few watches in light blue. Ellen has been seen wearing one of these pieces, the Rolex Day-Date 40 Ref. 228206 in platinum with ice blue dial. This piece retails for $63,250 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Rolex Daytona Ref. 116515

Ellen’s favorite single model of Rolex might just be the Daytona. She has been spotted in multiple Daytonas over the years. One such piece is the Rolex Daytona Ref. 116515 in rose gold with white dial. The black ceramic bezel has the tachymeter engraved in rose gold, to match the case, which is a nice touch. The Rolex Daytona Ref. 116515 retails for $30,500 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Vintage “Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona Ref. 6241

Too many collectors, including myself, the Paul Newman Rolex Daytona is a grail watch, the pinnacle of collecting. Ever since Newman’s own “Paul Newman” Daytona sold at auction for $17,750,000 USD, vintage Daytonas (and pretty much all Rolexes) have been selling at very high premiums on the secondary market. Ellen’s “Paul Newman” Daytona Ref. 6241 is an extremely special watch. The 6241 was only produced between 1965 to 1969 and in very limited quantities (only 2,700 were made during these years). Even fewer of these watches were produced with a “Paul Newman” dial like Ellen’s has. Because of the rarity and collectability, the only example of the stainless steel Ref. 6241 currently on the secondary market is prices at around $575,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Vintage Rolex Daytona Ref. 6265

Ellen’s Newman Daytona isn’t her only vintage Daytona. She has been spotted wearing a yellow gold Ref. 6265 with black dial. The 6265 was produced during a much longer time period than the 6241, from 1971 until 1988, so these pieces are a lot more common. That’s one of the reasons why Ellen’s steel Newman Daytona is so much more valuable than her gold 6265. While the gold 6265 sells for a hefty $180,000 USD, that’s almost a third of the market price of her Newman Daytona 6241. This just shows you that rarity is prized over precious metal by Rolex collectors.

Ellen Degeneres’ Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538 “Big Crown”

If you’re a fan of James Bond, you’ll likely be a fan of the final Rolex we are featuring from Ellen’s collection. Ellen has been spotted wearing the very rare 38mm Rolex Submariner “Big Crown”Ref. 6538. Indeed, this was the watch of choice by Sean Connery when he portrayed James Bond in film, including in Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964). Prices of the Submariner Ref. 6538 vary based on condition and rarity of dial. The Rolex Submariner Ref. 6538 “Big Crown” 4 Liner is available on the secondary market for around $175,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 Blue

In addition to Rolex, Ellen has a great collection of Patek Philippe watches. Her collection both sport watches as well as grand complications. Ellen has been spotted wearing the most famous Patek Philippe model of all time, the stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711 with blue dial. Patek Philippe’s Gerald Genta-designed Nautilus was first released in 1976 and it has remained one of the most sought after steel sport watches ever since. The blue 5711 was discontinued in 2019 followed by all steel 5711s being discontinued (after the release of a limited green dial 5711 and even more limited Tiffany Blue 5711). Even before the 5711 was discontinued, collectors expected to wait up to 10 years for the chance to buy the watch at retail. Because of this, the 5711 sells at extremely high premiums on the secondary market. You can pick one up for around $140,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 White

Less well known than the 5711 with blue dial is the steel Nautilus 5711 with white dial. Ellen happens to have this piece as well. The white dial 5711/1A-011 is extremely collectable, though not as collectable as the blue dial variant. Because of this, prices are not as high on the secondary market. You can pick one up for around $105,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Patek PhIlippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1R-001

The Nautilus has also been produced in precious metal, including rose gold. While many think of steel when they think of the Nautilus or 5711 in particular, the rose gold 5711 is a personal favorite, and comes with a beautiful chocolate dial. Ellen was spotted wearing the rose gold Nautilus at the 2017 MTV Video Music. The Nautilus Ref. 5711/1R-001 is currently selling on the secondary market for around $200,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Patek Philippe Grand Complication Ref. 5271P

Any true watch collector knows that Patek Philippe is not a one model brand. While the Nautilus is a great watch, it does not define the brand. Patek Philippe’s complications are what make the brand one of the most respected in the watch industry. The Patek Philippe Grand Complication Ref. 5271P features platinum case set with baguette-cut diamonds. It also includes Patek Philippe’s first in-house perpetual calendar chronograph movement. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5271P retails for $298,070 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Patek Philippe Split Seconds Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5204/1R

Ellen has also been spotted wearing another complication, the rose gold Patek Philippe Split Seconds Perpetual Calendar. Introduced in 2016, this watch is an “application piece”, meaning it is not for sale in boutiques and collectors must submit an application to Patek Philippe in order to become eligible to purchase. If you do not want to go through the application process, you can purchase the 5204/1R on the secondary market for around $250,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref. 5960/1A-001

Ellen’s final Patek Philippe is an interesting piece. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5960/1A-001 combines two things Patek Philippe rarely puts together: stainless steel and grand complications. The 5960 not only includes an annual calendar to track the exact day of the year, but has a chronograph as well. All in a stainless steel case. While occasionally you will see grand complications offered in steel, most of Patek’s complications are in precious metals (including gold and platinum). The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref. 5960/1A-001 is currently selling on the secondary market for around $70,000 USD.

Ellen Degeneres’ Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Dual Time

While Ellen’s collection is Rolex and Patek Philippe heavy, she has been spotted wearing at least on Audemars Piguet. Ellen has a Royal Oak Dual Time in her collection. You can consider the Dual Time to be a GMT, except that the second time zone is in a subdial (at 6 o’clock) rather than on the central dial. The Royal Oak Dual Time also has a power reserve indicator and date-indicator subdial. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Dual Time Ref. 26120ST currently sells on the secondary market for around $65,000 USD.