Top of the podium timepieces
With the Olympic Games 2024 now underway in Paris, the stakes are high with the colour of medal won coming down to split second timings.
With everything to win, timekeeping needs to be impeccable, which is why Omega have been given the official timekeeping job for the 31st time.
But there are some other brands favoured amongst the sporting stars out there. Here we take a look at some celebrity favourites from over the years.
Adam Peaty ~ Rolex
British breaststroke champion Adam won two gold medals at consecutive Olympics – in Rio and Tokyo. He set his current world record of 56.88 seconds at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju.
Adam wears a current version of the Rolex Submariner, reference 126610LV, with a green ceramic bezel and black dial. Its rotatable bezel is a key functionality of the watch. Its 60-minute graduations allow a diver to accurately and safely monitor diving time and decompression stops.
Manufactured by Rolex from a hard, corrosion-resistant ceramic, the Cerachrom bezel insert is virtually scratchproof. A luminescent capsule on the zero marker ensures legibility, no matter how dark the water – making it great for the swimmer.
Dina Asher-Smith ~ Hublot
Super Brit sprinter Dina Asher-Smith has plenty of gold and bronze medals to her name in various sporting competitions. She holds British records for the 100 metre (10.83 seconds) and the 200 metre (21.88 seconds) races – and is competing in these events again this year.
But the style doesn’t stop on the track, as she’s a dedicated follower of fashion and has posed on the front cover of many a magazine.
Her watch of choice is a Hublot Classic Fusion Titanium with a 33mm case. With a rubber strap and folding clasp it’s perfect for wearing on the track. With a matt black dial and satin finished rhodium appliques and polished rhodium plated hands, this is a pretty smart offering.
Usain Bolt ~ Hublot
Lightning by name, lightning by nature. Usain Bolt could be regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time.
Holding an incredible 9.58 second world record for the 100 meters, the Jamaican set the record in 2009 at the World Championships in Berlin.
But he is quite the personality on and off the track. Since his retirement he’s been keen to take on football, business, as well as inspiring future athletes.
Also a fan of Hublot, he partnered with the brand in 2010. Known for its innovative use of sci-fi materials and crazy cases, Hublot was excited to receive custom requests from Bolt.
The bold results were the Big Bang Unico Usain Bolt Ceramic, Big Bang Unico Usain Bolt Yellow Gold, and Big Bang Unico Usain Bolt Sapphire.
Gianmarco Tamberi ~ Omega
The Italian high jumper who is often spotted with half a beard, is the current Olympic champion. Coached by his own dad who held the indoor record, Tamberi was unable to compete in Rio due to an injury earlier in the season, however at Tokyo 2020, he was declared joint winner of the men’s high jump along with Qatari athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim.
In that event, both athletes cleared 2.37m for the gold medal, in a rare instance in Olympic history where the athletes of different nations agreed to share the same victory.
Gianmarco’s watch of choice is an iconic Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, with a black dial and in steel.
The watch is driven by the OMEGA Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861, which powers the small seconds sub-dial, 30-minute recorder and 12-hour recorder, along with the central chronograph function.
Anthony Joshua ~ Audemars Piguet
At just 22, Joshua won gold in the super heavyweight category at the 2012 London Olympics. The following year, he began his professional boxing career, becoming the second British boxer to win both an Olympic gold and a world title from a leading professional sanctioning body. He is also the first British heavyweight to achieve this dual feat.
Outside the ring, Joshua is an Audemars Piguet enthusiast, often seen wearing a Royal Oak Chronograph in rose gold. With a black chronograph dial protected by sapphire crystal glass, it’s smart yet durable. He also has a white Ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar and a Royal Oak Tourbillon ‘Extra-Thin’ in stainless steel, within his collection.
Time to win
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