Hip-hop titan and Birkin queen Cardi B may have said she is going to be on a budget until the day she dies, but she does not seem to follow that rule on her birthday, and rightly so. The 34-year-old, who calls herself the rose that came from concrete, was raised with meager means, lived a life full of financial hurdles, and even experienced homelessness. The superstar of today, however, is a far cry from that difficult past.
She celebrated her 34th trip around the sun with a reportedly $3 million Rolex Cosmograph Daytona nicknamed the Barbie. The mother of four did not stop there, pairing the purchase of the off-catalog model, which features pink sapphires, diamonds, yellow gold, and a matching pink strap, with a custom 7-carat natural diamond ring and a bubblegum pink Hermès Mini Kelly bag.
The 40mm watch is one striking Rolex, looking pretty in pink with matching chronograph subdials and sapphire hour markers. The bezel alone flaunts 36 pink sapphires. This exceptionally rare example costs more than a private island in the Bahamas and features diamond-set lugs alongside additional case accents.
Completing the terrific timepiece is a matching pink alligator leather strap with a yellow-gold folding clasp. Beneath the dazzling exterior beats the heart of Rolex’s Calibre 4131, a self-winding mechanical chronograph movement entirely manufactured by the brand, boasting a 72-hour power reserve and Superlative Chronometer precision.
One could not imagine anything less extravagant for the queen who became the first solo female rapper to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2019. The “Bodak Yellow” singer also celebrated her birthday eight years ago with a rose-gold, diamond-set Rolex. It was gifted to her by Migos’ record label for her 26th birthday.
Her wide assemblage of high-end timepieces includes several models from Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. As for pink watches, this is not even her first. The artist, now worth over $100 million, bought factory-original Richard Mille RM 07-01 in pastel pink ceramic earlier this year. Then-couple Offset and Cardi B also gave their daughter Kulture a diamond-bezeled Richard Mille outfitted on a pink rubber strap, reportedly around $250,000, for her birthday in 2021, shared Time and Tide Watches.
Cardi B’s love for watches-
To understand what someone loves most, one should look at what they chose for their first major splurge. It comes as no surprise Cardi B bought herself a watch. She noted in an interview that her first major splurge was an $80,000 watch simply because she was a rapper and needed jewelry. Over the years, the woman who remains terrified of ever going broke again has not stopped acquiring luxurious timepieces. In a video with watch writer Brynn Wallner, she flaunted her diamond-covered Patek Philippe and declared she could sell it anywhere, anytime, and open 10 salons.
This mindset clearly shows she views these pieces not merely as expenses but as assets she believes she can resell. This mindset also shines through her massive Hermès collection. Her handbag vault was reported in 2024 to be worth upwards of $2 million, encompassing around 50 luxury bags filled with highly coveted sizes, exotic skins, and exclusive silhouettes. Add to that the cutesy pastel pink Hermès Mini Kelly she purchased for her 34th birthday.
