On This Day: Split Watches Released "The Ozzy"

A raw, hand-painted tribute to the Prince of Darkness that turned horology into a vessel for rock history and philanthropy.

Spring 2026 marked a period of stark contrasts in the watch industry. In Geneva, the dust was just settling on Watches & Wonders, where brands like IWC dominated the conversation with technical precision and the "big-box" luxury experience. Meanwhile, the tech world encroached on the wrist with the global launch of the Oppo Watch X3 Mini. Yet, on April 21, 2026, a small London-based outfit called Split Watches carved out a space for itself with something far more visceral: a watch with a soul.

The Release

"The Ozzy" was not merely a timepiece; it was a memorial artifact. Announced just as the world was beginning to process the loss of the Prince of Darkness himself, the watch was a collaboration between Split Watches and the Osbourne estate. Limited to just 50 examples, the release was designed to be as raw and unpolished as its namesake's early career with Black Sabbath.

Most celebrity collaborations feel opportunistic. "The Ozzy" was different. Sharon Osbourne personally endorsed the project, ensuring it captured the idiosyncratic spirit of her husband. Priced at $2,960, the watch carried a remarkable philanthropic weight: every cent of the proceeds was donated to MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy.

The design was intentionally stripped-back. Each dial was meticulously hand-painted, ensuring that no two of the 50 pieces were identical. The most striking features were the sub-dials, rendered to look like Ozzy's iconic round, purple-tinted glasses. At the 12 o'clock position sat his signature Gothic cross, and through the exhibition caseback, the movement's rotor proudly displayed the Ozzy Osbourne logo.

Specifications

Legacy

Today, "The Ozzy" is remembered as a standout example of how to execute a tribute watch. In an era where "limited editions" often run into the thousands, the scarcity of these 50 pieces has made them legendary among both horologists and rock historians. They rarely appear on the secondary market; those who purchased them on that April day tended to be fans who viewed the watch as a piece of history rather than an investment vehicle.

The watch also signaled a shift for Split Watches, cementing their reputation as a brand that favored narrative and texture over the sterile perfection of traditional luxury. It remains a standout example of "punk horology" — a movement that values the "unpolished" and the "raw" over the mirror-finished surfaces of the Swiss establishment.

Closing

Ozzy Osbourne once famously remarked, "Time is the most precious thing in the world. Be very careful not to waste it." On April 21, 2026, Split Watches gave the world a way to track that time through the lens of a man who lived more of it than most. It remains a poignant reminder that while the gears inside a watch are mechanical, the stories we tell with them are entirely human.

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