Olaolu Slawn has by no means been notably all for retaining his artwork the place folks look forward to finding it. The British-Nigerian artist has moved comfortably between canvases, vogue, streetwear, and cultural collaborations, constructing a visible language that feels intentionally loud, playful, and tough to disregard. Now, he’s taking that method again to the wrist with “The Slawn x Rolex Multiverse,” a 12-piece assortment of one-of-one custom-made Rolex watches created alongside a gaggle of high-profile figures from throughout world tradition.
The venture marks a big enlargement of Slawn’s relationship with luxurious watches. Slightly than producing one other small run round a single art work, the artist has created a whole universe of particular person items, with every watch designed in collaboration with a unique cultural determine. The confirmed lineup ranges from soccer legends Ronaldinho and Mario Balotelli to rappers Gunna and Lil Yachty, with artists, designers, nightlife figures, and streetwear names additionally making appearances. The venture web site is about to launch on August 18, 2026, with the 12 watches scheduled for launch individually all through the month.
Inside “The Slawn x Rolex Multiverse”
On the heart of the venture is an concept that feels notably pure for Slawn: take an object already loaded with cultural that means and make it private.
Rolex watches have lengthy occupied a particular place in luxurious tradition. They’ll characterize achievement, wealth, style, or just a private milestone. Slawn, nevertheless, has persistently approached watches much less like conventional collectors’ objects and extra like clean canvases. His earlier custom-made Rolex releases demonstrated how dramatically a well-recognized timepiece can change when its dial turns into the first medium for an artist’s creativeness.
The brand new assortment pushes that concept additional. As an alternative of a single artistic voice showing throughout a number of watches, “The Slawn x Rolex Multiverse” offers every collaborator a definite visible id. The confirmed contributors embrace Ronaldinho and Mario Balotelli from soccer, Gunna and Lil Yachty from rap, and Clint419, the founding father of Corteiz. Japanese graphic designer VERDY, photographer and visible artist Gabriel Moses, artist Cedric Christie, nightlife entrepreneur David Grutman, and Nigerian skate collective Motherlan additionally kind a part of the lineup.
Two collaborators stay undisclosed, retaining a level of thriller across the full 12-watch venture.
That selection is necessary. Slawn just isn’t drawing from one nook of tradition. The gathering intentionally strikes between sport, music, vogue, artwork, and nightlife, reflecting the more and more blurred boundaries between these worlds.
It additionally mirrors Slawn’s personal profession.
The artist has constructed a fame round crossing those self same strains. His work has appeared in galleries, vogue tasks, and cultural campaigns, whereas his collaborations have related him with names together with Lil Yachty and Skepta. His rising presence within the up to date artwork world has additionally been bolstered by exhibitions with Saatchi Yates, which presently represents Slawn. There may be, subsequently, one thing becoming a few Rolex venture that refuses to behave like a standard watch collaboration.
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Why Slawn’s Rolex obsession issues
Slawn’s relationship with watches just isn’t a current advertising and marketing train. He has spoken overtly about his fascination with them, describing watches as private markers and gathering items from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and different main names. British GQ beforehand profiled his assortment. The publication famous that his watches vary from basic Rolex Datejusts to Patek Philippe fashions and G-Shocks.
That private connection grew to become particularly seen in 2024 when Slawn collaborated on a restricted sequence of custom-made Rolex Datejust 41 watches. The venture remodeled the standard Datejust into a colourful canvas for his art work. Every watch featured his distinctive graphic fashion, whereas the bins and casebacks have been additionally given particular person touches. British GQ reported that the idea started with Slawn and watch specialists discussing how his art work could possibly be translated onto a Rolex dial.
The watches bought out inside minutes. Different experiences put the sell-out time at roughly 4 to four-and-a-half minutes, underlining simply how rapidly Slawn’s artwork had crossed into the posh watch market.
That earlier success supplies helpful context for the Multiverse. Slawn just isn’t merely placing his title on one other luxurious object. He has already demonstrated that there’s an viewers prepared to deal with his custom-made watches as collectible items in their very own proper.
The distinction this time is scale and collaboration. Slightly than asking consumers to attach with a single art work, the Multiverse asks them to contemplate 12 distinct artistic personalities. Each watch turns into a gathering level between Slawn and one other determine.
A Rolex assortment constructed round tradition
Maybe probably the most attention-grabbing facet of “The Slawn x Rolex Multiverse” is the solid.
Gunna and Lil Yachty carry up to date hip-hop into the venture. Ronaldinho and Mario Balotelli add soccer pedigree. VERDY connects the gathering to Japanese graphics and avenue tradition, whereas Gabriel Moses brings pictures and up to date image-making into the combo.
Clint419 represents one other necessary connection. Because the founding father of Corteiz, he belongs to a era of British streetwear figures who’ve helped flip unbiased labels into world cultural actions.
Motherlan, in the meantime, provides a distinctly Nigerian dimension to the venture. That mixture makes the watches really feel much less like remoted luxurious merchandise and extra like cultural paperwork. Every collaborator carries their very own viewers, aesthetic, and historical past. Put collectively, these identities create the “multiverse” Slawn is referring to.
It’s also a mirrored image of the place luxurious itself has been heading. The standard luxurious watch business has spent a long time promoting craftsmanship, heritage, and exclusivity. These qualities nonetheless matter, however at the moment’s collectors are more and more within the cultural story hooked up to what they put on. A watch may be helpful due to its motion and supplies, however its emotional worth can come from who designed it, who wore it, or what group it represents.
Slawn understands that instinctively. His work has all the time operated someplace between artwork and standard tradition. Even his earlier Rolex venture demonstrated {that a} conventional luxurious object might turn into extra attention-grabbing when it was stripped of a few of its seriousness and given a distinctly up to date persona.
His newest venture takes that philosophy to a a lot bigger stage.
Featured picture: @olaoluslawn/Instagram