Ed Sheeran has got to a point in life where he can do whatever he wants now. Case in point: taking over a pizzeria to make and give out free pizzas to fans whilst wearing an unbelievably rare Rolex.
He might be one of the most successful musicians on the planet, but Ed Sheeran is refreshingly unbothered by many of the trappings of fame. He’s just a very chill, top bloke: he doesn’t fly around in private jets, drinking expensive champagne and making a fool of himself. He’s all about the music and uses his wealth to tick things off his bucket list.
His one vice? Watches. Ed might dress very humbly and seem very low-key but beneath that casual exterior lies a truly avid watch aficionado who boasts one of the most diverse, mature and drool-worthy luxury watch collections out of any celebrity on the planet (including a few one-off pieces)… And he’s got enough dosh that he’s not too fussed where he wears them.
Case in point: ahead of his sold-out show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania over the weekend, Ed surprised fans by turning up at a local pizzeria to give out free pizzas and have a go at twirling bases – while wearing a rare Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ potentially worth over $1 million AUD.
So named because it was worn by Hollywood star and perennial style icon Paul Newman, ‘exotic dial’ Rolex Daytonas rank as some of the most rare and coveted watches on the planet. It’s kinda shocking that Ed wore one while making pizzas, actually (don’t get tomato sauce on it, Ed!)
As there are a bunch of different references all considered ‘Paul Newmans’, it’s hard to tell which one Sheeran owns, considering we only get a brief look at it on his wrist. My guess is that it’s a ref. 6263, as Ed’s seems to lack the red ‘Daytona’ text that appears above the 6 o’clock subdial like other references have.
The ref. 6263 is also, generally speaking, the most desirable Paul Newman reference: knowing Ed’s such an aficionado (and that he’s got the bank balance to afford one), I reckon it’s the most likely candidate. Good examples of ref. 6263 Paul Newman Daytonas regularly sell for over $1 million AUD.
However, the most expensive Paul Newman ever was a ref. 6239 which was owned by Newman himself, which recently sold for US$17,753,000: making it the third most expensive watch of all time, and the most valuable Rolex of all time by a significant margin.
WATCH Ed Sheeran give out free pizza to fans (whilst wearing his expensive Rolex) below.
According to CBS News, Sheeran and the owner of Caliente Pizza & Draft House, the pizzeria that Ed took over, made pizzas together using a special sauce that incorporates the popstar’s new hot sauce, Tingly Ted’s. The singer delivered 50 free pizzas and 50 sets of tickets to fans, with the pizza boxes featuring Ed’s likeness.
If you’re a diehard Ed Sheeran fan and you’re feeling like you’ve missed out, never fear: if you live in Australia, New Zealand, Europe or the UK, Tingly Ted’s is now available to buy online in a bundle of two different flavours for the low price of £6 (~$11.50 AUD) plus shipping. Just whack it on some pizza for the full experience.