Athletes, besides their efforts on and off their playing field, are known and admired for living a lavish lifestyle. And for the ones that stand out on a global level, comes gigantic pay cheques, endorsements, sponsorships, and a lifestyle that’s wanted by many. With the hefty money bags at their disposal, athletes like to spend big on a host of amenities ranging from villas, hot wheels, private jets to exquisite watches to name a few.
In this article, we will list out some of the top athletes from the sports fraternity who own expensive watches.
Floyd Mayweather
On top of our list, of course, is Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Often touted as one of the best boxers of all time, with an undefeated record of 50-0 before retirement, Mayweather made more money than any other athlete in the decade preceding 2019.
The former boxer, who often flaunts his fat-money lifestyle on his Instagram, has posted a host of pictures sporting multi-million dollar watches from his huge collection of exquisite timepieces which include 49mm Jacob and Co. Royal worth $480,000, Jacob and Co. Rainbow Tourbillon – exclusive 1 piece ever made, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15130 worth $1,390,000 and a collection of Richard Milles.
The most expensive watch, however, in Mayweather’s collection is undoubtedly the most magnificent – the Jacob and Co. Billionaire III.
This stunning timepiece boasts an impressive 260 carats of emerald-cut diamonds, a rectangular case with a skeletonized dial, and a tourbillon movement on full display amidst the extravagant diamond-studded 18-karat white gold case and bracelet. Each stone weighs up to three carats, adding to the watch’s opulent allure. There’s only one such piece ever manufactured and it is owned by him.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently signed a massive £175-million-a-year contract with Saudi Arabian football club Al Nassr is a massive fan of wrist watches. While his watch collection may not directly rival his multi-million car collection, it’s not too far off.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who boasts of “golden feet” on the field, has a thing for shiny wrists off it.
The talismanic forward has a massive collection of watches which include Breguet Classique Grande Complication Double Tourbillon worth $800,000, Jacob & Co. Bugatti Chiron CR7 worth $1 million, Jacob & Co. Grand Baguette Diamond worth $1 million, Franck Muller Tourbillon Trumps Van Cleef & Arpels – worth $1.4 million, and the Franck Muller Van Cleef & Arpels Invisible Baguette Diamonds Imperial Tourbillon worth $19,51,205.
Rafael Nadal
With 22 Grand Slam titles, Rafael Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players to have existed. His strong, effortless forehands have garnered a lot of attention over the years, but so did his wrists – a wrist that, time and again, is spotted sporting expensive watches.
When we talk about Richard Mille, we have to talk about the 14-time French Open winner. Not that the Spaniard doesn’t like other watches but for the fact that he has been a brand ambassador for the brand since 2010.
Nadal’s collection includes Richard Mille RM 027 worth $1,600,000, Richard Mille RM 27-01 worth $1,750,000, Richard Mille RM 27-03 worth $1,685,000, Richard Mille RM 27-04 worth $2,150,000 , and Richard Mille RM 35-03 BLUE worth $850,000 amongst many.
Virat Kohli
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, is now giving head-on competition to global sports stars in terms of generating revenue. Besides his hefty earnings coming from cricket, the right-handed batsman is also well-endorsed by brands, making millions out of these contracts.
A fashion icon himself, Kohli owns a collection of exquisite watches. The RCB skipper has a Rolex Sky-Dweller 18k Rose Gold worth Rs 35 lakh, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak worth Rs 17 lakh, Rolex DayDate 40 18k worth Rs 27 lakh amongst others.
The most expensive watch from his lot is the Rolex Daytona Rainbow Everose Gold which cost him a whopping Rs 2 crore. Further, Kohli often makes headlines for gifting watches to his teammates.
Hardik Pandya
The Gujarat Titans skipper, as his Instagram handle suggests, splashes out millions on watches. Having written one of the most influential rags to riches stories in Indian cricket, the all-rounder is now a style icon, besides being an explosive hitter of the Indian team’s middle order.
In his watch collection, Pandya has a Patek Philippe Nautilus 18k White Gold worth Rs 2.7 crore, a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712R worth Rs 1.65 crore, Rolex Oyster Perpetual Daytona Cosmograph worth Rs 1 crore, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph Rose Gold worth Rs 38 Lakh and the most expensive of them all, the Patek Philippe Nautilus Platinum 5711, which costed him somewhere in the north of Rs 5 crore.