With the 2022 FIFA World Cup having moved into the knockout stages we thought it might be interesting to take a look at the watches that have been spied on the wrists of some of the biggest names in the game.
Neymar Jr – Brazil
Arriving in Qatar, Brazilian Neymar Jr. was seen wearing the Rolex Day-Date ‘Rainbow’ 128348RBR in yellow gold.
The dial is set with brilliant-cut diamonds and features 12 rainbow-colour sapphires as hour markers, inspired by the bezel of the iconic Daytona Rainbow.
Christiano Ronaldo – Portugal
During a press conference, Ronaldo was seen wearing a new Jacob and Co. Epic X ‘Flight of CR7’ in rose gold, made in collaboration with the football legend himself.
The limited edition of 100 pieces features a 44 mm case with X-shaped lugs where the bezel is set with 24 baguette-cut diamonds. The skeleton movement features two vertical pillars; the left pillar takes on the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo himself, while the right one bears the CR7 logo and Cristiano’s signature, both engraved in bold letters.
Another image of Cristiano Ronaldo himself, wearing his iconic number 7 jersey, is printed on the case back’s tainted sapphire crystal.
Lionel Messi – Argentina
The Argentinian superstar, arguably playing in his last World Cup, has been seen wearing two different watches.
The first is a platinum Rolex Day-Date with an ice-blue dial and Roman numeral hour markers. It comes with a smooth bezel and a presidential bracelet. The dial colour also seems to match the national team kit.
His second watch is the stunning Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740 in white gold. Introduced as the first grand complication in the Nautilus collection, it features a blue sunburst dial with gold-applied hour markers and luminescent coating.
Harry Kane – England
The captain of England’s national team has been seen wearing one of the most sought-after pieces on the market: Rolex Daytona ‘Rainbow’ 116595RBOW in 18k rose gold.
The bezel is set with 36 baguette-cut rainbow sapphires, the case is set with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds, and the hour markers are set with 11 baguette-cut rainbow-coloured sapphires.
Kylian Mbappe – France
The French speedster has been spotted wearing a 42mm Hublot Spirit Of Big Bang ‘King Gold.’ It features a sapphire dial, a skeletonized chronograph movement, and a satin-finished and polished 18k king gold case. The bezel is also satin-finished, polished, and micro-blasted 18k king gold with 6H-shaped titanium screws.
Eden Hazard – Belgium
The Belgian star is kitted out with a beautiful rose gold Daytona 116505. The watch features a meteorite dial with three black sub-dials and an oyster bracelet.
This chronograph was designed to be the ultimate timing tool for endurance racing drivers. More than 50 years after its creation, the Cosmograph Daytona remains in a class of its own among sports chronographs and continues to transcend time.
Virgil van Dijk – The Netherlands
Captain of the Dutch national team Virgil van Dijk wears the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 26579CS in blue ceramic. This watch introduces the manufacturer’s first case and bracelet fully crafted in blue ceramic. It features a blue dial with a ‘Grande Tapisserie’ pattern, blue counters, and a blue inner bezel.
Clearly, there are a lot of expensive watches floating about in Qatar right now, but football is big business – the World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet. FIFA, the governing body, is expecting to bring in $4.7 billion from the event, whilst Qatar expects the tournament to add $17 billion to its economy.
