The Luxury Watches Lionel Messi and 10 Other Top Athletes Wear

For the horologically inclined, the sport of watch spotting has become one of the internet’s more entertaining pastimes. It’s added a touch of “who wore it best” to the men’s fashion game and some excitement to red carpets, pre-race paddock shots, and crowd pans during playoff timeouts. If not noticed in the moment, chronograph-fixated websites will be sure to let you know that “David Beckham rocked a Tudor Black Bay 39 to the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar” or “LeBron James wore his Patek Philippe Nautilus to the start of 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

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Over the last decade-plus, pro athletes lent some added excitement to the watch-spotting game by building mind-boggling collections that include watches ranging in price from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars. If you’re wondering what’s fashionable in the watch world, just watch the players arrive for an NBA game or a Premier League match, or strut across the F1 paddock or warm-up at Wimbledon. In today’s world of athlete celebrities, if you want to be considered a bona fide star, you need the watch collection to match. After all, the bigger the collection, the bigger the star, right? Here are the pro athletes with the best watch collections.

Lewis Hamilton

While Max Verstappen currently dominates Formula 1, there’s still one area where Lewis Hamilton remains at the top: the watch game. While other racing stars have begun to build their watch collections, the Mercedes man/IWC ambassador has been on it for years. His collection includes watches named after him—the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar “Lewis Hamilton” Edition IW503002 (about $55,000) and the socially conscious IWC Lewis Hamilton Ceratanium ”Black Lives Matter” (a priceless exclusive)—and his collection isn’t limited to the brand he represents. He also has a $50,000 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and a $125,000 Patek Philippe Nautilus.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Breitling Ambassador and NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo owns one of the NBA’s finest collections. From a half-million-dollar Rolex to the brand he represents, the Greek Freak’s collection currently includes over 80 timepieces. His collection features the insane Rolex Daytona Rainbow (which often goes for north of $500,000), a Patek Philippe Nautilus, and the somewhat accessible Breitling Navitimer 43 (about $9,000).

LeBron James

While LeBron James might no longer be the NBA’s top star on the court, his watch collection remains one of the best off it. King James’ collection includes watches from many of the world’s (read Switzerland’s) most iconic brands, including Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille. Among his stunning collection, you’ll find a Richard Mille 11-03 “Jean Todt” (about $550,000), a Rolex Daytona “Eye of the Tiger” (north of $200k), a Royal Oak with the 'Tapisserie Evolutive” pattern (about $550,000), and Patek Philippe Grand Complications Celestial (around $400k).

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Steph Curry

Probably the best shooter in NBA history, Steph Curry knows what looks good from a distance. With the addition of Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors squad, the baby-faced assassin is looking to bring the Larry O'Brien trophy back to the Bay Area, but when it comes to watch collections Curry continues to build one of the best in the game. Pieces in his collection include a Rolex Sea-Dweller Deepsea ($20,000), a Cartier Santos Skeleton ($57,000), an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Dual Time” ($55,000), and a Panerai PAM01441 Luminor GMT ($15,000).

Patrick Mahomes

Coming off a second Super Bowl championship and a second MVP, it’s easy to understand why Patrick Mahomes possesses one of the NFL’s most impressive watch collections. The Chiefs quarterback’s captivating play continues to bring in new fans—he’s the one tossing the ball to Taylor Swift’s new beau, after all—while off the gridiron, his horological collection continues to demand admiration. Mahomes’ collection features lots of Rolex and Omega, including the previously mentioned Rolex Daytona Rainbow, the Rolex Day-Date Platinum ($150k), and the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra ($36k), as well as, like Steph Curry, a Cartier Santos.

Odell Beckham Jr.

During a Cleveland Browns game (back when he was on the team), Odell Beckham Jr. once wore a brown-and-orange Richard Mille watch. Some might think that’s crazy—who would want to risk destroying a RM 11-03 (which runs for between $400k and $600k), but OBJ knows his watches, so the choice to sport one produced in partnership with McLaren suggests that it would hold up even if a strong safety tried to take his head off during an underthrown dig route. The current Baltimore Raven has only grown his watch collection since leaving Cleveland, and it currently contains a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711, Rolex GMT-Master II Sapphire Ruby Diamond (about $270,000), and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak in Smoked Green.

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Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi made his first appearance in an MLS uniform to a frenzied Inter Miami crowd earlier this year and immediately became a U.S. sensation. The press coverage on this side of the Atlantic led to a concentration on the Argentine's fashion in addition to his goal-scoring prowess, and now we are getting a better look at his closet, which includes one of the planet’s most impressive watch collections. Messi’s collection features a variety of Patek Philippes, an Aquanaut Chronograph ($135,000), and two Perpetual Calendars (both worth over $150,000). Also, a collaboration with Jacob & Co. saw the creation of the $600,000 Epic X Chrono Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo

While Messi’s watch collection is certainly one of the best among pro athletes, it might not top Cristiano Ronaldo’s. The Portuguese soccer superstar, who currently plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabian capital, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract worth around $210 million last December, so he has plenty of money to spend on freshening up his always stylish wardrobe. His current collection includes a Rolex GMT Master II Yellow Gold Ruby ($120,000), the one-of-a-kind Hublot “Masterpiece” MP-09 Tourbillon Bi-Axis King Gold (estimated to be about $1 million), a Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon CR7 Edition ($750,000), a Jacob & Co. Caviar Flying Tourbillon Tsavorites ($780,000), and a Girard Perregaux Planetarium Tri-Axial ($1.7 million).

Kylian Mbappe

The French soccer captain has been making life easy for Les Bleus lately, as they’ve already qualified for the 2024 European Championship, after winning their first six qualifying games. While things might not be going as well in Ligue 1 for PSG (they currently sit third), it’s certainly not the 24-year-old’s fault as he’s scored seven goals in six starts. The Hublot ambassador has amassed an impressive watch collection over the last couple years that contains a Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink ($200,000), another Hublot Unico Big Bang ($70,000), and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph.

David Beckham

Thanks to Netflix, Beckham’s life is currently one of the internet’s hottest topics. From the English soccer legend’s current honey-making project to his personal life, Becks’ private world is currently on display for all to discuss, including his lifelong obsession with fashion and fancy objects. That obsession of course extends to watches, an enthusiasm that continues to this day as he’s currently a Tudor ambassador. Beckham’s collection, meanwhile, features watches from across the luxury watch brand-sphere including a Patek Philippe Grand Complications Celestial ($375,000), Tudor Pelagos “Inter Miami” (one of a kind), and a surprisingly accessible Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze ($4,525).

Roger Federer

Class, excellence, and precision are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind when thinking about the now-retired tennis superstar. The Swiss great became one of the faces of Rolex back before watch spotting hit the bigtime. He spent his career faithfully and brilliantly presenting the brand as he graced courts from Melbourne to Paris to Wimbledon and beyond. And while there may be some question over who is the true GOAT when it comes to tennis, no one on grass, clay, or hard court can match Fed’s watch collection. Federer’s collection features a large variety of Rolexes, such as a Daytona “Orange” in yellow gold ($87,000), Day-Date in platinum ($76,000), and a vintage Daytona “Big Red” (at least $120,000).