Jun 5, 2015
Reading time 5 min.
7 Personalized Watches Made for World Champion Athletes
WatchTime takes a look at seven notable watches of world champion athletes, including the Citizen Eli Manning Limited Edition Perpetual Chrono A.T and the Hublot King Power Black Mamba, made for the L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant.
With baseball season heating up and the NBA and NHL finals underway, we at WatchTime thought it would be the perfect time to re-post (with a few updates) our article on the elite fraternity of athletes who have not only won a world championship in their sports but also boast a watch made specifically for them. Here are seven notable watches of champions.
Randy "The Big Unit" Johnson won baseball's World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001. A longtime watch lover, particularly of the Ulysse Nardin Freak, Johnson partnered with Ulysse Nardin in 2012 to create the limited-edition Big Unit Chronograph. The personalized watch has a tiny baseball as the counterweight of the central seconds hand, and Johnson’s number “51″ replaces the typical “50″ minute marker on the bezel. Each watch is delivered with a baseball autographed by Johnson. More details on the watch can be found by clicking here.
Randy Johnson (above) and his signature timepiece, the Ulysse Nardin Big Unit Chrono (below)
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Ulysse Nardin Big Unit side
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Each of the 100 watches with an autographed baseball.
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The L.A. Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who has won multiple NBA championships, is nicknamed "Black Mamba" for his slippery, on-court athleticism, "Black Mamba" is also the nickname of his personal Hublot King Power wristwatch, which has a purple-and-gold Lakers color scheme on the dial's hands, indices and numerals; a Kobe Bryant signature in gold on the sapphire caseback; and a python leather strap. The Hublot King Power Black Mamba is limited to 250 pieces. For more on the watch, click here.
Kobe Bryant and the Hublot King Power Black Mamba
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Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal stands out even among this elite group of champions in that he is the only one who actually wears his watch while winning titles. And not just any watch: a six-figure tourbillon timepiece from Richard Mille. The brand created its RM 027-01 Tourbillon specifically for Nadal, and with his creative input. Its ultra-lightweight case is made of an anthracite polymer injected with carbon nanotubes and the movement is made of a light, rigid, shock-absorbent combo of titanium and a lithium alloy called LITHAL.
Rafael Nadal (above) and his watch, the Richard Mille RM27-01 (below).
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Richard Mille RM27-01 Rafael Nadal_560
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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is an elder statesman of his sport now, but in his heyday the three-time world heavyweight champ was one of the most famous athletes in the world. IWC Schaffhausen recognized Ali's legend with its creation of the one-of-a-kind IWC Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali. Modeled on IWC's historic Big Pilot's Watch, this unique piece has applied indices with a Super-LumiNova coating in signal red, a favorite color of Ali’s, and a matching color scheme on the underside of the black alligator strap. The caseback is engraved with Ali’s signature and the inscription, “Edition Muhammad Ali, ONE OUT OF ONE.” It was auctioned for $60,000 at Ali's Celebrity Fight Night Gala in April 2012.
Tribute to "The Greatest": IWC Big Pilot's Watch Edition Muhammad Ali (front and back)
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IWC Big Pilot Muhammad Ali - back
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning — who bested Movado endorser Tom Brady of the New England Patriots in not one but two thrilling Super Bowls — is a proud Citizen wearer and even appears in TV commercials for the Japanese brand. In 2012, Citizen released a personalized Manning watch, the Citizen Eli Manning Limited Edition Perpetual Chrono A.T, which featured a dial in Giants blue and was limited to 2,000 pieces. The watch has a 42-mm case and a quartz movement with Citizen’s signature Eco-Drive technology, which uses sunlight to recharge the battery. Its numerous functions include a 60-minute chronograph, perpetual calendar, alarm, and power reserve and AM/PM indicators. The steel caseback is engraved with Manning's Giants jersey number “10.” Click here for more about the watch.
Giants QB Eli Manning at the press conference announcing his personal Citizen watch (below)
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Citizen - Eli Manning watch
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It was probably inevitable that former Miami Heat all-star and two-time NBA champ LeBron James (who this season returned to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers) would eventually join the fraternity of athletes with their own personal watch models. In fall of 2013, Audemars Piguet launched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James, a relatively understated chronograph with a rose-gold/titanium combo case and an elegant gray leather strap. The only touch of "bling" is a subtle one, namely the diamond-set chrono push-piece at 2 o'clock. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Ofshore LeBron James is a limited edition of 600, priced at $51,500. You can read more about it here.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore LeBron James
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LeBron James wearing Audemars Piguet
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Recently retired New York Yankees all-star shortstop (and five-time World Series champ) Derek Jeter collaborated with Movado on the design of its Derek Jeter Captain Series watches. This one is sporty version of Movado’s famous Museum Watch, with a 42-mm stainless steel case finished in black PVD. The matte black dial has a polished black dot at 12 o’clock, a date display in a round window at 6 o’clock, blue-filled hour and minute hands, and a thin, gray vertical-stripes motif (somewhat reminiscent of the iconic Yankee uniform pinstripes). The central seconds hand and the reflector ring surrounding the dial are also blue. The watch is powered by a Swiss quartz movement and comes on a black, perforated rubber strap with a stainless steel, black-PVD-finished tongue buckle. The price is $795. Click here for more on the Movado Derek Jeter Captain Series watches.
Movado Derek Jeter Captain Series Museum Sport
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Are there other world champion athletes with their own watches that we're missing? Let us know in the comments box below; we'll be updating the list frequently.
This article was originally published on September 29, 2013, and has been updated with new material.
