Today’s offering showcases a special treasure from our COT Celebrity Collection: a stainless steel Festina F12 reference 8995 wristwatch personally owned and worn by the legendary Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Harry Belafonte. Far more than an entertainer, Belafonte was an artist who reshaped culture.

Harry Belafonte was one of the most celebrated entertainers of the 20th century—a trailblazing singer, actor, and activist whose artistry reshaped popular culture. Dubbed the “King of Calypso,” he introduced Caribbean music to mainstream audiences around the globe. His landmark 1956 album Calypso became the first LP in history to sell more than one million copies, fueled by the enduring popularity of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)—a song that remains especially recognizable to this day. His warm, charismatic stage presence and magnetic voice made him a household name, while his work in film, including Carmen Jones and Island in the Sun, broke new ground for Black actors in Hollywood.

Belafonte’s career was recognized with some of the industry’s highest honors. He won a Grammy Award for Calypso, later receiving a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His performances earned him Emmy and Tony Awards as well, making him one of the rare “EGOT” recipients. In 1989, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, and in 2014 he received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his profound influence on both culture and conscience.

Equally celebrated for his activism, Belafonte was a close confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a tireless champion for civil rights, social justice, and humanitarian causes. He helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, supported the anti-apartheid movement, and worked with UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador. His fearless voice against injustice and his lifelong commitment to equality cemented his legacy not only as an entertainer but as a moral leader of his era. To own a watch worn by Belafonte is to hold a personal connection to a man whose artistry brought joy to millions and whose convictions helped change the world.

This watch:

The Festina F12 offers a balance of practicality and style. Its curved rectangular stainless steel case wears comfortably on the wrist. Its silver dial is crisp and functional, with luminous dauphine hands, applied Arabic numerals, baton hour markers, and dual registers for day and date, giving it both clarity and sophistication. With its signed crown, durable 5 ATM water resistance, and dependable quartz movement, the F12 is built for reliable everyday wear, yet its streamlined tank-style design ensures it pairs effortlessly with both casual and formal attire. It’s a versatile timepiece that blends contemporary durability with timeless appeal.

It remains in overall good condition. We have not cleaned or polished the watch or done anything to the outside of it - we left it just as we acquired it, which includes signs of wear.

On the inside, one of our Master Watchmakers has installed a new battery making it ready for enjoyment.

Included with the purchase is a one-year C.O.T. international warranty on the movement and its function, a full-page custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity, and a new timing certificate. Also accompanying it is a Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance from a well-known auction house.

Connoisseur of Time's Renowned Celebrity Collection:

This watch is part of our Celebrity Collection of watches that has been featured in GQ, Revolution Watch, Europa Star, JCK, Hampton's Magazine, Gotham Magazine, Vegas Magazine, Silicon Valley magazine and many others. eBay just recently partnered with us for an exclusive, special sale for seven of the watches.

The collection has been composed of 107 watches and clocks owned or worn by 55 iconic celebrities and public figures. It may be the largest current collection of celebrity-owned watches in the world. It is constantly changing and is currently headlined by timepieces owned by some of the most legendary Hollywood actors and actresses, musicians, comedians, and entertainers:

The King, Elvis Presley. (Just sold)

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson. (Just sold)

The King of Comedy, Jerry Lewis.

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. (Just sold)

Hollywood icons Steve Martin, Red Skelton, Martin Sheen, Burt Reynolds, Laurence Olivier, James Arness, Steve McQueen, Betty White, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Hope, Greta Garbo, Raquel Welch, Mickey Rooney, Jane Fonda.

Legendary musicians Johnny Cash, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Janet Jackson, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Kenny Rogers, Harry Belafonte, ZZ Top's Dusty Hill, Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie, Don Mclean, Mountain's Leslie West, and Hank Williams, Jr.

Sports great and soccer legend Pelé, heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, Yankee Hall of Fame great Lefty Gomez, World Cup winning captain and soccer defensive legend Daniel Passarella, and Green Bay Packer Mike Bucchianeri along with the game ball, signed photo and watch from the college football "all star" Blue Gray Game in 1940.

Further filling the current collection are watches or clocks from King Edward VIII and the Duchess of Windsor, beloved Hollywood host Ed Sullivan, renowned illusionists Siegfried & Roy, Academy award-winning actresses Loretta Young and Doris Day, Emmy award-winning actress Valerie Harper, Golden Globe winning actor Richard Chamberlain, Emmy award-winning journalist Larry King, Phyllis McGuire of the chart-topping McGuire sisters, Ian McDonald multi-instrumentalist English rocker for King Crimson and Foreigner, Elvira Mistress of the Dark (Cassandra Peterson), fashion designer to the stars Nolan Miller, the watch worn by Sean Penn in Shanghai Surprise then owned by Beatle George Harrison, and a watch worn by multiple characters in the television series "For All Mankind."

It also includes rare watches given by heads of state: A prototype 18K gold Buren Microrotor gifted by His Royal Majesty Ibn Saud, former King of Saudi Arabia; a Felsa given by former Libyan Colonel and Head of State Muammar Al Qathafi; a Longines given by Highness Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa former Prime Minister of the State of Bahrain; a Baume & Mercier gifted by the King of Jordan. All three watches are new-old-stock in presentation shadow box frames with photos.

Recently sold was a watch given a handful of years after the Civil War concluded by the Vice President Elect to honor an Army commander who went on to receive the Medal of Honor.

This is a significant, exciting, and constantly changing new collection you won't want to miss! Stay tuned over the coming weeks for photos of other special pieces from the collection!

To view the first few already up for sale follow this link: https://shop.connoisseuroftime.com/collections/our-celebrity-owned-historical-event-watches?page=1&sort_by=created-descending

Manufacturer: Festina
Country of origin: Switzerland
Model: Ref. 8995, F12 model
Year built: c. 2010 - 2020
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Sweep Seconds, Day, Date
Designed for: Men
Case material: Stainless steel
Case markings (Outside): “ALL STAINLESS STEEL 5 ATM WATER RESIST FESTINA 8995 REGISTERED MODEL”
Case condition: Good condition; we left it just as we acquired it which includes signs of wear.
Dimensions: 33mm diameter (without crown), 41.5mm lug-to-lug
Dial: Silver with applied luminous Arabic numerals, baton indices, subsidiary day and date indications, luminous dauphine hands, signed Festina
Hands: Luminous "batons", steel
Movement type: Swiss quartz
Crown: Signed Festina “F” logo, stainless steel
Crystal: Glass, excellent condition
Band: Original, signed Festina, leather, previously worn but very serviceable still
Width between lugs: 20mm
Serviced: We have not cleaned or polished the watch or done anything to the outside of it - we left it just as it was last used by Mr. Bellafonte. On the inside, one of our Master Watchmakers has installed a new battery making it ready for immediate enjoyment.
Warranty: One-year C.O.T. international warranty on the movement and its function. Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.
Box/Papers: BOX - Connoisseur of Time box; PAPERS - Custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity; Connoisseur of Time timing certificate; Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance from a well-known auction house
Returns: 7 days full refund. 100% satisfaction guarantee

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all of our watches. If you are in any way unsatisfied with the watch we will fully refund the purchase price anytime within 7 days after the watch has been received. Our goal is to exceed our client's expectations throughout the buying experience.

All watches are packaged carefully and mailed double boxed in specially constructed, reinforced shipping boxes designed for high value items. All watches are sent fully insured with signature required. Most of our domestic shipping is done through FedEx. At times we will also use USPS Express Mail, and we can accommodate most requests for your preferred carrier. International shipments are sent USPS International Express Mail or FedEx.

The purchase price will be the declared value of the merchandise on any required customs forms. The payment of all customs duties, tariffs, and taxes are the responsibility of the buyer.

Also note that water resistance of vintage watches can no longer be guaranteed and is not covered under the watch's warranty. We do not recommend getting a vintage watch wet, even one that was originally designed to be waterproof.

To get an idea of how this watch will look on the wrist, please use the Watch Sizing Guide

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