In 2019, Rory McIlroy set the luxury watch world on its ear when he assisted in the design of an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra timepiece. This ultra-light, limited-edition Gamma Titanium watch sells for a cool $48,000.
McIlroy’s wristwear splash is the latest to draw headlines in a category linking luxury watches with the greatest names in golf. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player started this trend in the 1960s when The Big Three became brand ambassadors for Rolex.
Today, pick your favorite PGA or LPGA professional and it’s likely you’ll find that they enjoy an endorsement deal with one of the world’s finest watch brands. Let’s look at five of the most luxurious timepieces and see which golfer’s wrist they adorn.
Rory’s Watch of Glory
Rory McIlroy not only pocketed $15 million with his 2019 FedEx Cup win, but he also followed up this victory with another first, his personal input into the design of an Omega custom watch that is so light McIlroy feels comfortable wearing it on the golf course.
Fellow professionals Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood backed McIlroy by wearing the watch during last year’s European Masters. Fleetwood said the watch, featuring a telescopic crown, was so light he forgot he was wearing it.
Bubba’s Watch Breaks the Bank
Bubba Watson has been wearing Richard Mille watches in tournaments since 2011. In 2018, Watson wore an RM-38-01 watch while playing in the Masters.
This watch includes a g-sensor on the face which tells Watson how fast his club is traveling during a swing. This model was designed specifically for Watson, and only 50 of these watches were made. The retail cost: $825,000.
Annika Watches Her Career – 20 Years Apart
In 1995, Annika Sorenstam won three tournaments internationally including the U.S. Women’s Open. This was the same year she was awarded Rolex Player of the Year. In addition to hoisting the trophy, Sorenstam was rewarded with an iconic Rolex Datejust watch.
Exactly 20 years later, this golf Hall of Famer purchased a second watch, this time an Oyster Perpetual Datejust. Sorenstam had the phrase “With Rolex 20 years” engraved on the back.
DJ and Hublot – Perfect Timing
Swiss watchmaker Hublot chose Dustin Johnson to represent their brand because they believed his golf attributes matched their timepieces. Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO, believes in Johnson due to his, “Perfect timing, power, control, and precision.”
In 2017, Johnson and Hublot debuted the Big Bang Unico Golf watch. The Big Bang was designed to allow golfers to calculate their scores on the course. This beauty retails for $14,000.
Tiger’s Watch Travels Well
Tiger Woods‘s favorite Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea timepiece has traveled the world with him at least ten times over. Woods’ affinity for Rolex’s Deepsea makes sense when you consider that scuba diving is one of the golf legend’s passions.
For most of Woods’ publicity photos, he sports a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date II. When Woods donned his fourth Masters’ jacket in 2019, he wore a $16,550 Rolex Deepsea D-Blue watch on his left wrist.
Timing is Everything
Justin Thomas, Sungjae Im, and Webb Simpson are the early FedEx Cup leaders in the world golf rankings. On the women’s side, it’s Ingbee Park, Madelene Sagstrom, and Nasa Hataoka leading the way. Will the greatest names in watches soon woo these golfers with lucrative timepiece deals? All we can do is … watch.