The Washington Wizards point guard went from collecting G-Shocks when he was 10 to owning custom timepieces from Rolex, Pristine Jewellers and more

Four-time NBA All-Star Trae Young has a watch collection as impressive as his basketball career. The 28-year-old, who signed a four-year US$212 million deal with the Washington Wizards in June this year, sat down with Robertino Altieri, CEO and founder of second-hand luxury watch dealers, WatchGuys, in an exclusive episode of Altieri’s video series, My Collection, to talk about his stunning watch rotation valued at around US$700,000.

Young’s love for timepieces started when he was only 10, years before he made his NBA millions.

“I was into G-Shocks early on ... We had a Best Buy in Oklahoma, and they had watches there. All the malls in Norman where I grew up. That was kind of like the most affordable watch for kids, and, and people were kind of starting to like and watch it,” Young said during the interview. “That was like what was really cool to me at the time. So I knew I was always into watches at that point.”

Since then, the basketball star, known by his nickname “Ice Trae” given by rapper Quavo in reference to his 2017 track “Ice Tray”, has traded up his G-Shock for heavy hitters from Rolex, Audemars Piguet and more. Here’s a breakdown of some of his stand-out pieces.

Rolex Datejust (custom turquoise dial)

A Rolex Datejust, averaging at US$10,000, is typically considered an “entry-level” piece for watch enthusiasts. However, this timepiece with a custom turquoise dial holds a special place – it was gifted to Young by his wife, Shelby Young, for his third All-Star appearance in 2024. It also features an inscription that reads “Love, Shelby, Tydus, Teal.”

“It says my wife’s name and my son and my daughter’s name. So that one’s very special to me,” Young explained during the podcast.

For his fourth All-Star, Shelby gifted Young another Rolex classic, the Rolex Datejust Mint Green Jubilee, which WatchGuys listed at US$13,000.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak blue dial

Among his several timepieces, Young highlights his Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which features a blue dial, as the piece that he wears most frequently.

“I wear that a lot. That’s one of my favourite watches. I wear it constantly,” he told Altieri. He went on to reveal that he’d acquired the piece after signing his first contract extension. WatchGuys estimates the watch to cost US$50,000.

Hublot Classic Fusion black dial (custom case)

Young owns more than one wristwatch from Hublot. The NBA star fell in love with the brand after hearing Jay-Z – whose love for the brand is famously documented – name-drop Hublot in a lyric of his 2011 track “Otis” with Kanye West.

The Hublot Classic Fusion black dial in his collection features a 42mm dial and a diamond-set titanium bezel. It is estimated to cost US$14,000.

Franck Muller Vanguard

Moving on to his flashier pieces, Young sported this white Franck Muller Vanguard to Michael Rubin’s all-white party earlier this summer.

Originally a women’s watch, the 32mm Vanguard (Ref. V32QZDACE) has a distinct tonneau-shaped case and features diamond embellishments. You can grab yourself a similar model for an estimated US$21,000.

Pristine custom made-to-order watches

Of his several watches, Young tells Altieri that his favourite is The Azure by Pristine, a custom made-to-order watch from the New York-based Pristine Jewellers that counts the likes of Cardi B, Bad Bunny and Fat Joe as its clients.

Covered in icy blue baguette diamonds, the Pristine “Azure” has a hefty price tag of over US$250,000. Young is also the proud owner of a rare Pristine Chandelier Black timepiece, which is covered in black round-cut gems. Only 18 of this model were ever made. Its starting price is estimated to be over US$250,000.