- Rafael Nadal, the powerhouse tennis player, won his fourth US Open and 19th Grand Slam title on September 8, 2019.
- Nadal is one of the highest-paid tennis players of all time, so it comes as no surprise that his virtually indestructible timepiece of choice— the Richard Mille RM27-02 — retails for $725,000.
- Many elite athletes like Nadal sport luxury watches.
- We spoke to the horological experts at Crown & Caliber to identify the makes and models of timepieces worn by 21 of the world's top athletes.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Expensive Swiss mechanical watches don't have much practical use on the field, court, or track, though it's not uncommon to see the world's biggest athletes wearing high-end, luxury timepieces during their events.
Rafael Nadal won his 19th Grand Slam title at the US Open on September 8, putting him right behind Roger Federer's record 20 Grand Slam titles. That kind of athletic prowess is a marketing tool. Watch brands are eager to sponsor elite athletes, from tennis champions like Nadal and Federer to fighters like Floyd Mayweather, not for their horological expertise but for their aura — which sells.
When Nadal won his latest Grand Slam title, he was wearing his famed Richard Mille timepiece, which retails for roughly $725,000.
We got a helping hand from the experts at Crown & Caliber to determine the makes and models of 21 timepieces worn by the world's top athletes. They are listed here in ascending order of price.
SEE ALSO: How Rafael Nadal spends his fortune
Neymar — Gaga Milano, $2,100.
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Neymar's love of watches is well documented, with a 2017 trip to a Gaga Milano store ending in a $180,000 purchase and an endorsement deal.
Despite his own line of timepieces being on the lower end of the luxury watch bracket, it looks as though he has some special editions worth much more in his collection.
Price according to Gaga Milano.
Andy Murray — Rado Hyperchrome XXL, $3,475.
When Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon Championship in 2013, he was a Rado brand ambassador, and as soon as he won, he reportedly hurried to slap on his Rado Hyperchrome.
He put it on so quickly he didn't notice that it was seven hours out. He has since dropped Rado as a sponsor and instead works with brands such as Jaguar and Under Armour.
Price according to the Daily Mirror.
David Beckham— Tudor Black Bay Chrono, $5,100.
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David Beckham is one of the major sponsors for Tudor's Born to Dare campaign and is often seen wearing one of the brand's highly popular watches.
Beckham sits alongside other high-profile ambassadors of Tudor such as Lady Gaga and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team.
Price according to Tudor.
Tom Brady — TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 01, $5,450.
Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady partnered with Tag Heuer in 2015.
"His jaw is famous. His hair is famous. His right arm is famous. Now his left wrist is, too," Alex Williams wrote for The New York Times that year.
In 2017, Tag Heuer released a special edition Tom Brady chronograph, which retailed at $5,600.
Price according to Tag Heuer.
Rory McIlroy — Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, $6,350.
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Rory McIlroy seems to be very happy with his partnership with Omega, according to his Instagram. He must have a pretty big collection of them by now, as not only will Omega gift him certain watches (see clip above), but he is also given a new timepiece when he wins certain golf tournaments.
Price according to Omega.
Tiger Woods — Rolex Sea Dweller, $11,350.
Tiger Woods made a ridiculous comeback to the zenith of golf and Rolex is breathing a sigh of relief, as they bet big on the golf star's return to the top when many brands were dropping him from their rosters.
"Tiger Woods still has a long career ahead of him, and […] has all the qualities required to continue to mark the history of golf," the company said in 2011 when they announced the sponsorship deal.
It looks like their investment is finally paying dividends.
Price according to Rolex.
Roger Federer — Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel, $14,400.
Roger Federer is one of Rolex's best-known ambassadors, and you won't see him lifting a trophy without one of the luxury watches on his wrist, each of them hand-picked to match the tournament.
At the Australian Open in January 2017, Federer lifted an impossible-to-find Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel along with the trophy.
The Sky-Dweller is the most complicated watch that Rolex makes, according to Hodinkee.
While this watch was probably provided for him by Rolex, Federer wouldn't have much of an issue buying it, as he was the highest-paid tennis player of 2019, according to Forbes.
Price according to Rolex.
Cristiano Ronaldo — Tag Heuer Carrera Heuer-02T, $24,500.
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Cristano Ronaldo is the second highest-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes, and a lot of that money comes from his numerous endorsements, one of which is Tag Heuer.
While it's a mystery exactly which and how many watches he owns, above he's wearing the Tag Heuer CARRERA Heuer-02T. The price of his exact model is unknown as it is listed as "unique," but the most closely related timepiece retails for $24,500.
Price according to Tag Heuer.
Phil Mickelson — Rolex Yachtmaster 40, $26,200.
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To go along with his three green jackets, golfer Phil Mickelson has a sponsorship deal with Rolex and has been seen wearing various models. Here, he is proudly showing off a Yachtmaster 40, which comes with Rolex's patented Oysterflex bracelet and is made from rose gold.
Price according to Rolex.
Lewis Hamilton — IWC Big Pilot Special Edition, $33,300.
Lewis Hamilton and the entire Mercedes F1 team is sponsored by IWC. Therefore, Hamilton gets to wear a lot of rare and limited edition IWC watches.
The one pictured above is believed to be an IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar in yellow gold, but no price for this watch can be found publicly.
The 2019 version of the limited edition watch is valued at 33,000 Swiss Francs (or about $33,300).
Price according to Monochrome Watches.
Michael Jordan — IWC Big Pilot Platinum Limited Edition, $35,500.
In 2016, NBA legend Michael Jordan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama — you may remember the memes.
What you may not remember, though, was Jordan's wristwear, which happened to be an IWC Big Pilot Platinum Limited Edition, ref. 5002-02, according to Hodinkee.
The limited edition timepiece was made in only 500 pieces, according to Watchfinder&Co., and was on sale from roughly 2003 to 2006.
Watchdetails projects that the retail price for this limited edition watch, if you can find it, falls around $35,500.
Elina Svitolina — Ulysse Nardin Marine Lady Chronometer, $35,800.
Elina Svitolina is one of the Ukraine's top tennis stars and is currently ranked number three in the world by the WTA. Since she has partnered up with Swiss brand Ulysse Nardin, she has been spotted wearing multiple models by them.
Here she is wearing the rose gold and diamond covered Marine Chronometer.
Price according to Ulysse Nardin.
Conor McGregor — Rolex Sky Dweller, $39,550.
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Conor McGregor is known for his massive displays of wealth and love of all things expensive. Here you can see him wearing a yellow gold Rolex Sky Dweller on a brown alligator strap.
While this is perfect for a man who is constantly in different time zones, McGregor is also known for having a varied collection.
Price according to Rolex.
Usain Bolt — Hublot Big Bang UNICO, $39,900.
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These were produced by Hublot at the start of the 2016 athletics season to commemorate Bolt's career and his final season on the track.
With a depiction of his silhouette doing his signature lightning pose in one of the subdials, the watch is truly one of a kind, just like Bolt himself.
Price according to Hublot.
LeBron James — Customized Audemars Royal Oak Offshore, $49,500.
James' Audemars Piguet is customized in 18k gold, but you can buy a similar regular version on Crown & Caliber for $49,500.
Stephen Curry — Santos de Cartier Skeleton, $63,500.
Cartier's new take on its classic caused quite a stir in the horological community when it was relaunched in April 2018, and it was largely agreed to be a stunning piece of design.
The price tag is unlikely to make much of a dent in the wallet of the Warriors star, though — his $40 million salary makes him the highest-earning player in the NBA.
Curry's elegant Santos is a refreshing break from the louder timepieces worn by his NBA colleagues, who tend to opt for Hublot Big Bangs, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshores, and garish Richard Milles.
Price according to Cartier.
Paul Pogba — Richard Mille RM 30 White Rush, $166,500.
Manchester United's Paul Pogba has a basic salary of £290,000 (roughly $357,512) a week, according to Goal.com, which goes some way to explaining how the French midfielder is able to afford a $166,500 timepiece.
It's even less surprising when you consider that Pogba signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with Adidas in 2016 worth about $44 million.
Price according to Chrono24.
Anthony Joshua — Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Off-Shore, $431,375.
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Joshua is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in UK and international sports.
Away from fighting, Joshua's company AJ Boxing and Commercial makes money through 12 sponsors, gym ownership, and an athlete management business.
One such sponsor is Audemars Piguet, who likely gifted him this watch, valued at about £350,000 (or $431,375) in 2017.
Price according to Business Insider.
Rafael Nadal — Richard Mille RM27-02, $725,000.
Nadal is a big ambassador for Richard Mille and one of the very few athletes on this list who wears their watch while competing.
His specially designed Richard Mille RM27-02 was made with top-of-the-line shock absorption technology for a mechanical watch with a design inspired by racing car chassis, making it virtually indestructible. There is also orange in the design to reflect the clay courts of Roland Garros, where Nadal has dominated for so many years.
Price according to Forbes.
Serena Williams — Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage, $1.25 million.
Williams topped her male counterparts when she wore this ludicrously opulent Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage to the Met Gala in 2017.
The truly absurd looking spiked bracelet watch is made of white gold and encrusted with 65 carats' worth of precious stones. The watch face itself is hidden beneath one of the spikes and is powered by a caliber 2701 quartz movement.
Williams has been sponsored by Audemars Piguet since 2014.
Price according to Forbes.
Floyd Mayweather — Jacob & Co. 'Billionaire Watch', $18 million.
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The most expensive addition to Floyd "Money" Mayweather's vast watch collection is the $18 million Billionaire diamond tourbillon watch.
The Billionaire is set with 260 carats of emerald-cut diamonds, and even the bracelet is diamond-set.
Mayweather used the watch to insult rapper 50 Cent in a feud, saying in an Instagram post, "You're Not Supposed To Be Beefing With Me. You're Supposed To Be Beefing With My WATCH. Me And You Are Not On The Same Level!!!"
Price according to Forbes.
Russell Sheldrake contributed to an earlier version of this article.