Hard to believe there's anything that rapper/actor/Renaissance hustler André 3000 hasn't attained, but the truth is that he's been quietly yearning for something more. Specifically, a Panerai Radiomir 1936 watch. Available only outside the U.S. and being discontinued this year, PAM 249 is quintessential Officine Panerai: black California dial, leather strap, military bearing. Add blue hands and an OP X manual wind, and you've got a collector's item on par with the faux 'fro he sports in Semi-Pro as Clarence "Coffee" Black. "I'm looking for something simple, not too dressy, that you can wear with jeans," says André, who just launched his own sporty clothing line, Benjamin Bixby. Translation: He'll wear the Panerai everywhere from New York to his hometown Hotlanta, but don't expect him to wear it live. "Usually when you perform onstage, you don't wear watches," he explains. Are you listening, Flavor Flav?
Special Effects
Rapper's Delight
Hepcat André 3000 looks to add a new trick up his sleeve. By Hudson Morgan
April 2008
Panerai's Radiomir 1936 watch with California dial and steel case, $7,000; panerai.com. (Photo: Tom Allen)
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