Savvy stars sport collectible luxury watches
Sports stars are at the top of many lists when it comes to the target audience of some high-end watches, which is why we so often see the most sought after collectibles on the wrists of global mega-talent.
Danny Shahid, whose Diamond Watches London boutique operates out of Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade, detailed four exclusive models on the wrists of such stars recently.
Erling Haaland – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Hot off the back of his record-breaking treble with Manchester City, Erling Haaland’s stock couldn’t be any higher thanks to his prolific goal-scoring.
The talismanic striker has boasted an impressive collection of watches since he was at Borussia Dortmund, including the Royal Oak Jumbo extra thin 50th Anniversary ref. 16202BA.
Launched at the beginning of 2022 to mark the Royal Oak’s 50th anniversary, this variant boasts a smoked golden dial to match its 18kt yellow gold construction and the new automatic cal. 7121 movement.
Rocketing past its initial retail price of around £60,000, this golden watch is turning out to be a fruitful investment for the Premier League’s golden boy, with a current market value in the vicinity of £150,000.
Iga Świątek – Rolex Datejust
World number 1 Iga Świątek recently took home her third French Open title, aged just 22. The Polish player is emerging as a true giantess of tennis, and her wrist game appears to be just as strong as her backhand.
A Rolex ambassador since early 2021, Iga often wears her 31mm Datejust ref. 278274 with a stunning sunburst purple dial and diamond-set Roman numerals at 6 and 9 o’clock. Priced at around £9,500 and worth about £12,000, it’s slowly becoming known as the Świątek Datejust and we might just see it again at Wimbledon.
Carlos Sainz – Richard Mille RM 67-02 Automatic ‘Italy’
While the Ferrari team aren’t having the season they had hoped for, they have continued their partnership with Richard Mille in emphatic form with the new RM 67-02 Automatic ‘Italy’: a watch designed to commemorate the two brands’ continuing partnership.
Spotted on the wrist of driver Carlos Sainz before it was released, this timepiece boasts a Carbon TPT and red Quartz TPT case so it weighs only 32 grams. Therefore, the watch doesn’t weigh the wrist down while the driver experiences the ferocious G forces during F1 races, including the upcoming British Grand Prix.
While this watch doesn’t come cheap at around £165,000, it would certainly be worth acquiring as a ‘normal’ RM 67-02 variant will set you back around £240,000.
This new ‘Italy’ variant, with its red and green skeletonised dial, could fetch in excess of £275,000 given its link to the legendary carmaker, bright colours and extreme exclusivity.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Rolex Daytona Meteorite Dial
Recently announcing his retirement from a glittering 24-year career at nine clubs, including Manchester United, legendary Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will continue earning thanks to the startling collection of watches he acquired during his playing days. His Rolex Daytona ref. 116519 is one such watch that will keep accruing capital.
Crafted from 18kt white gold and sitting on a black Oysterflex bracelet, this model is rather unassuming at first glance but its Gideon meteorite dial is what makes it so rare and special.
This particular reference is incredibly hard to source, and so its market value has ballooned significantly past its original £29,000 retail price and now sits around the £120,000 mark.
