If you’re a quality timepiece fan and a sportsman, you’ll likely wonder what watches tennis players wear at some point. After all, professionals have a lot on the line, and wearing the wrong wristwatch can potentially ruin a game.
Dependability, shock resistance, weight, and the secureness of the band are all essential aspects in selecting the ideal piece, which makes choosing one a difficult but necessary decision for someone whose career could well ride on making the right choice.
For these very reasons, most athletes and watchmakers would agree that wearing a mechanical timepiece during play is totally out of the question, but a few manage to make it work. Here’s a quick look at what watches are worn by tennis players who have made a name for themselves and have a keen eye for the finer things in life.
Source: https://www.richardmille.com/friends-and-partners/rafael-nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael “Rafa” Nadal , also known as the “King of Clay,” loves his watches. Nadal has partnered with the luxury brand Richard Mille, whose first model, the RM 001, was inspired by Ferrari and crafted by Audemars Piguet. The collaboration between the watchmaker and the tennis star has spawned an entire range of diverse timepieces, from the inaugural RM 027 to the most recent automatic creation in 2022, the RM 35-03, featuring its distinctive butterfly rotor.
Rafael Nadal is known for wearing watches from the luxury brand Richard Mille during his tennis matches. Over the years, Nadal and Richard Mille have collaborated on several models, specifically designed to be lightweight and durable enough to withstand the rigors of professional tennis. Some of the notable models Nadal has worn include:
- RM 027: This was the first watch Richard Mille designed for Nadal, introduced in 2010. It’s known for its ultra-lightweight design, made possible by the use of materials like titanium and LITAL® alloy, which is a high-lithium content alloy containing aluminum, copper, magnesium, and zirconium, with a density of 2.55. The entire watch weighs just 20 grams, strap included, making it perfect for Nadal’s high-intensity matches.
- RM 35-01: Following the success of the RM 027, the RM 35-01 Rafael Nadal was introduced, featuring a case made from NTPT carbon to ensure robustness and durability.
- RM 27-03: This model is notable for its shock resistance, capable of withstanding up to 10,000 gs, a feature that showcases the brand’s commitment to creating watches that can endure the extreme conditions of professional sports.
- RM 27-02: Known for its unique unibody baseplate made of NTPT carbon and TPT quartz, this watch combines high-tech materials for strength and durability.
- RM 27-04: Celebrating the 10-year partnership between Nadal and Richard Mille, this model features a mesh made of a single steel cable, woven directly into the case, to create an innovative suspension system. This design contributes to its lightweight and shock-resistant properties.
- RM 35-02: This model is an automatic version introduced as a response to requests for an automatic winding mechanism in Nadal’s series of watches, featuring the brand’s patented variable-geometry rotor.
- RM 35-03: The latest model unveiled in 2022, the RM 35-03 features a unique butterfly rotor mechanism that allows the wearer to interact with the watch’s winding mechanism, showcasing Richard Mille’s innovative approach to watchmaking.
The RM 27-04 is a fascinating watch—only 50 have been made to celebrate the ten years of partnership between Nadal and Richard Mille.
The RM 27-04, weighing only 30 grams including its strap, showcases a manual winding tourbillon movement, the CALIBRE RM27-04, with a 38-hour power reserve. Its structure, including the skeletonized baseplate and bridges, is made from a highly durable and corrosion-resistant grade 5 titanium alloy (90% titanium, 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium), enhancing the gear train’s functionality. This material choice, combined with a black PVD treatment, provides exceptional rigidity and flatness, crucial for the watch’s precise operation. Such properties are why this alloy is favored in industries like aerospace and automotive for its mechanical strength.
The watch’s innovative design features a microblasted string mesh, a novel approach in watchmaking, made from a single steel cable 0.27 mm thick. This mesh supports the movement and is inspired by tennis racket stringing techniques, offering resistance to the many impacts of a tennis match. The movement is connected to this mesh through five polished grade 5 titanium hooks treated with 5N gold PVD, ensuring the movement remains suspended and stable within the case, capable of withstanding over 12,000 g’s of acceleration.
The RM 27-04 also includes a free-sprung balance with variable inertia for improved shock resistance and more reliable timekeeping. Vibration dampeners are added to key components to enhance stability and absorb vibrations. Its fast-rotating barrel improves performance and power reserve efficiency.
The case is crafted from TitaCarb®, a revolutionary material exclusive to Richard Mille, made of high-performance polyamide reinforced with 38.5% carbon fiber, offering unparalleled strength, rigidity, and resistance to environmental conditions, making it perfectly suited for the demands of professional tennis. TitaCarb® complies with REACH standards for safety in chemical use, and the case is secured with grade 5 titanium screws and stainless steel washers, ensuring water resistance up to 50 meters.
Each of these watches reflects the partnership’s focus on innovation, using cutting-edge materials and technology to create pieces that are not only suitable for professional athletes like Nadal but are also luxurious and aesthetically pleasing.
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Roger Feder
Roger Federer has already retired from the tennis scene; however, his passion for precision extends beyond the tennis court to day-to-day products, landing him as an ambassador for Rolex. He has been their ambassador since 2006.
Roger has been spotted wearing various Rolex watches, including the Rolex Sky-Dweller, Datejust Wimbledon, Day-Date, and Daytona.
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic is well-acquainted with the world of luxury timepieces. He first joined forces with Audemars Piguet as a brand ambassador in 2011 and transitioned to Seiko in 2014. After a fruitful partnership, he moved to Hublot in 2021, continuing his association with prestigious watch brands.
Naomi Osaka and Petra Kvitova
These great women’s tennis players are part of the TAG Heuer ambassador team. They are passionate about quality products, and watches fit right into their style. Naomi’s favorite watch is the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300, Naomi Osaka Limited Edition.
What Watches are Worn by Tennis Players?
While knowing what watches are worn by tennis players can help us replicate their style, it’s safe to say that professional athletes have worn countless models and brands throughout the years, and there’s no “right” choice. However, it’s worth noting that even brand ambassadors do not wear their Rolexes and Audemars Piguets during gameplay. If you’d like a luxury timepiece of your own for sport or everyday wear, view our pre-owned collection online.
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, and Petra Kvitova know what they want from life, especially when it comes to luxury timepieces. Nadal’s collaboration with Richard Mille, Federer’s longstanding association with Rolex, Djokovic’s transitions from Audemars Piguet to Seiko, and then to Hublot, along with Osaka and Kvitova’s partnership with TAG Heuer, all exemplify a synergy between the athletes’ pursuit of perfection and the watchmaking excellence these brands represent. These partnerships produce more than luxury timepieces; they forge symbols of resilience, precision, and a relentless pursuit of greatness, mirroring the very essence of professional tennis and the personal legacies of its stars, thereby highlighting the intrinsic connection between the sport’s high stakes and the artful precision of luxury watchmaking.
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