Luke Combs “Flexes” at CMA Awards With Watch Linked to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash

The 2025 CMA Awards came to pass Wednesday, Nov. 19. Entertainer of the Year nominee Luke Combs kicked off the star-studded ceremony at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena with a red-hot performance of “Back in the Saddle.” He took the stage a second time alongside rapper BigXthaPlug for a rousing duet of their country-rap collab “Pray Hard.” And while at first glance, Combs’ red-carpet attire wasn’t quite as flashy as some, the “Fast Car” crooner, 35, brought a piece of country music history to the 59th awards ceremony.

Luke Combs accessorized his brocade suit with a vintage Omega watch that Johnny Cash gave to Elvis Presley in 1969. A gift for the King’s 34th birthday, an engraving on the back reads, “To E From J Jan. 8 1969.”

An Australian “watch writer, horological researcher and expert watch spotter,” who goes by the Instagram handle @niccoloy, spotted the priceless artifact on Combs’ wrist. The “Beautiful Crazy” singer reportedly purchased it for $103,000 at a recent auction, according to the comments.

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“Rock all the Rollies you want boys….none of them have the story this watch does!” one user declared in the comment section.

“Biggest flex I’ve seen this year,” another agreed.

Certainly, Combs has his fair share of Rolexes as well. His notable watch collection has previously been featured in GQ magazine. While he walked away winless from Bridgestone Arena after garnering three nominations, the two-time Entertainer of the Year had a pretty stunning piece of hardware to soften the blow.

[RELATED: Luke Combs Set for ‘Manningcast’ Appearance During 49ers vs. Panthers]

Luke Combs Recounts Awkward First Rolex Purchase

Back in 2018, Luke Combs walked into a New York Rolex store to fulfill a lifelong dream. Releasing his 2017 major-label debut This One’s For You, the North Carolina-born hitmaker made history as the first artist to send their first five singles to the top of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Wanting to celebrate his success, he decided to splurge on his first-ever Rolex. However, the shop assistant nearly turned him away based on his understated appearance.

“I walked into the store and… I was like…‘I’m looking for a Yacht-Master II Stainless Steel’, and they were like, ‘Well you can’t just get those.’ I remember they said that, ‘You can’t just get those,’” Combs recalled during a November 2024 interview with Club Rolex.

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He continued, “And I’m like, ‘Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but we’re in the store that would f—ing sell them, in my opinion. Where the hell else am I gonna get it?’…Like, they’re not selling them at the grocery store. So, she’s like, ‘Oh, well you can’t just get those.’ And I’m like, ‘What do you mean?…It sounds like you can’t get those.’”

So Combs, in his athletic shorts-and-sandals glory, casually quipped, “Aw, that’s too bad, because I’m playing Madison Square Garden tonight, so I’m going to wear it on stage.’ “And they’re like, ‘Well, we may have one laying around…’”

Featured image by Taylor Hill/WireImage