This customized Mathey-Tissot watch started with an idea in 1969 when Elvis Presley commissioned his long-time Memphis, Tennessee jeweler and close friend Harry Levitch to customize a premium Swiss-made 34mm watch.
This watch, which was once owned by “The King”, is the same design that he also gave to family, close friends, selected staff, band members, and other privileged sorts, identifying the wearer as one with "all access" status at Elvis' concerts and tours.
The bezel is crafted with Elvis Presley in raised circular letters and balanced with four stars.
It is accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Elvis Presley Museum signed by Jimmy Velvet, stating that the watch was designed for Presley and is a part of the Velvet collection. It also states that Presley often gave these watches to close friends and members of his entourage as gifts.
Provenance: Bonhams & Butterfield: Elvis Presley Memorabilia, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, October 1995 - Lot 1387, Julien's Auctions: Music Icons Auction 21, May 2016 - Lot 74, Julien's Auctions: Music Icons Auction 29, May 2024 - Lot 208
The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation
Through great loss has come inspiration. At just 15 years old, Brian LaViolette’s life was claimed in a swimming accident, and on the day of his funeral, his family kept a promise to honor his name and memory by helping others. Founded in 1992, the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation awards deserving college-bound students with scholarships to further their lives and education. Since then, the foundation is proud to have presented 1,160 scholarships to deserving individuals across the globe.