In the Who wears what? section, we have already discussed the watches worn by historical figures as controversial as Stalin, or the alleged watch of Adolf Hitler. Since we sometimes have to look at watchmaking where we least expect it, we might as well tackle today another monster of our time: Jeffrey Epstein.
While browsing the “Epstein Files” made public by the United States Department of Justice (to each his own) an image caught my attention. A photo taken during the search of his private island, showing the inside of a drawer. Inside: several watches. This was enough to pique my curiosity: What watches did Jeffrey Epstein wear?
Because if the colossal fortune attributed to the man suggested a coherent and refined collection of haute horology, the observed reality is... let's say, more disconcerting.
The photograph, taken by investigators on Epstein's private island, shows a drawer in which several watches are stored. Nothing scripted, nothing highlighted: simply timepieces placed there, without a case, without any particular precautions.
What is immediately striking is not so much the potential value of certain pieces as the complete lack of guideline. No thought-out collection, no watchmaking common thread, but a heterogeneous accumulation of watches with radically different worlds.
Among the visible pieces, several Luminox (notably the one with a red dial), and more precisely references LU3015. Quartz watches, known for their tritium lighting and their very “tactical” positioning. The brand communicates extensively on its links with the American Navy SEALs.
On paper, it is a robust, functional watch, perfectly suited to military or outdoor use. In fact, it is also an accessible watch, sold for less than 300 euros. The gap between Luminox's warlike storytelling and Epstein's profile leaves one wondering. We almost have the impression of borrowed watchmaking virility, a symbol purchased turnkey.
To the right of the drawer, we can also see a Panerai Luminoriconic automatic watch from the Italian brand. Panerai is military aesthetics, massive cases, the imagination of Italian naval commandos. A beautiful watch, undeniably, but over time it has become an almost caricatured choice for those seeking to display a certain “watchmaking virility”.
In the center, a Frank Muller Long Island. A very “Art Deco” rectangular watch which is an icon for the brand.
Going beyond this photo, and digging through the publicly released emails, I discovered other watches from Jeffrey Epstein's watch collection.
In an exchange dating from 2011its main accountant, Richard Kahnattempts to draw up an inventory of Epstein's valuable jewelry and watches for the purposes of his insurance. This email, visible below, constitutes an interesting source for understanding the true extent of his collection.
We also learn that Epstein had at least one Patek Philippewhich he had initially declared as lost during a hurricane that hit his island in 2018 and to withdraw the reimbursement request from his insurance (email below).
Another exchange of emails that I extracted sheds more banal, but equally revealing, light on Epstein's relationship with his watches: the pilot of his jet, Larry Visostiwrites to him to inform him that he has found his Hublot black watch and that he will bring it back to him in the morning. A seemingly innocuous detail, but which confirms the existence of an additional piece in this disparate collection, and in passing underlines the almost utilitarian nature of these objects, including when it comes to luxury watches.
Based on emails, public documents and available photos, we can draw up a non-exhaustive list of the watches he owned or allegedly owned:
Model not specified. The ultimate symbol of Genevan fine watchmaking, Patek Philippe embodies tradition, transmission and discreet luxury. We do not know if this piece was really part of a collector's approach or if it was simply a statutory purchase.
An interesting vintage watch, quartz movement, combining chronograph and alarm function. The email talks about a “Yeager LeCoultre”, which shows how they don’t give a damn…
Breitling is instrumental watchmaking, aviation, sport. Here again, a symbol more than a constructed watchmaking approach.
A piece with a recognizable Art Deco design, often chosen for its “statement” aesthetic. A watch which does not leave one indifferent, but which, in this context, seems more to come from a taste for ostentation than from any real horological interest.
Here we are dealing with something more serious on a technical level. Franck Muller knows how to produce very beautiful, sometimes spectacular complications. A respectable piece, even if the whole still lacks coherence.
This is undoubtedly a very interesting watch from this inventory. We don't know the reference but FP Journe is an absolute reference in contemporary independent watchmaking. Owning such a piece requires either a genuine watchmaking interest or a good advisor.
Probably the most refined watch of the set. Beautiful, well designed, equipped with a useful complication, it contrasts with the more “brutal” or gadget side of certain other pieces. A truly beautiful watch, without reservation.
The existence of this watch is attested by an exchange of emails (mentioned above) in which Jeffrey Epstein's personal pilot, Larry Visostitells him that he has found his Black porthole and prepares to give it back to him. Here again, we are less in a collection logic than in that of a luxury accessory worn, lost, then recovered, without this seeming to have any particular importance for its owner.
What stands out from this inventory is not the absence of beautiful watches, but the absence of coherence. This large permanent gap gives the impression of an accumulation more than a collection.
Watchmaking, like many worlds of luxury, is based on codes, a history, a sensitivity. Owning a beautiful watch says nothing, in itself, about the ability to appreciate what it really represents.
At Epstein, everything suggests that watches were above all objects: symbols of power, social markers, sometimes even simple accessories. Nothing indicates the approach of an enlightened collector or enthusiast.
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