There was a time when luxury watches and sport lived in different worlds. Fine watchmaking belonged to quiet workshops in Switzerland, where time moved slowly and perfection was measured in microscopic details. Sport was loud, bold and public, defined by stadium lights and the drama of victory and defeat. Today, however, they are inseparable. The partnership between the world’s leading watch Maisons and the global sporting stage has evolved into one of the most influential relationships in luxury culture. It is a space where engineering meets emotion, design meets endurance, and a fraction of a second can define both a race and a brand.
Breitling
Luxury watches have always been storytellers. They are symbols of precision, discipline and mastery, qualities that mirror those of elite sport. Timing is sport’s invisible referee, and watchmakers have long provided the instruments that make competition possible. But the connection runs deeper. Sport delivers moments that become part of collective memory. A championship point at Wimbledon. A record-breaking sprint. A final lap at Monaco. When a watch brand is present in those scenes, it becomes woven into the moment’s emotion. Collectors aren’t just buying a timepiece. They are buying into triumph, resilience and human achievement. It is a partnership built on shared values of excellence, performance, innovation and legacy.
Watch brands benefit from being part of real performance. Athletes test watches in extreme environments. Tracking vibration, ocean spray, sweat, ice, force and shock becomes part of the research process. This leads to advances in lightweight cases, high-tech ceramics, carbon composites and improved water resistance.
Consumers see authenticity rather than simply aspiration. A watch worn on court or track feels different from one positioned solely in advertising. Sport, in turn, gains prestige, heritage and craftsmanship. A luxury watch brand elevates a tournament or team, adding a sense of timelessness to what is otherwise a fleeting competition. And crucially, the partnership connects with a younger audience. Sporting heroes become entry points into horology, introducing new generations to mechanical watches in a digital age.
That explains why brands today increasingly align with athletes who embody performance beyond statistics. Breitling’s partnership with Erling Haaland is a powerful example. The Norwegian striker represents a new era of sporting stars: disciplined, data-driven, fearless and global. By putting Breitling on his wrist, the Maison taps into the energy and ambition of modern football while reinforcing its identity as a brand built for action, not just display.
Omega provides another case study in evolution. Already synonymous with precision on the Olympic stage, the brand has deepened its role in golf, supporting major tournaments and champions who rely on focus, control and rhythm rather than speed alone. The fairway may seem calmer than a sprint finish, yet the discipline of timing, swing mechanics and competitive pressure speaks directly to the values of fine watchmaking.
And then some brands approach sport from an entirely different angle, using personality rather than performance as their canvas. Jacob & Co has become a favourite among global football icons, designing bold, theatrical timepieces for stars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. These watches celebrate star power as much as mechanics, turning sporting legends into living ambassadors for highly expressive, gemstone-studded complications that feel as dramatic as the moments they create on the pitch.
As we move toward 2026, the landscape of watchmaking and sport looks set to evolve further. Women’s sport continues to gain momentum, and we can expect to see more performance-driven timepieces created specifically for female athletes, alongside a growing number of women fronting flagship collections rather than appearing only in jewelled lines. Sustainability will also accelerate, with sailing, endurance events and outdoor disciplines encouraging brands to work more actively with recycled metals, bio-based composites and advanced ceramics while retaining a sense of luxury. Technology, meanwhile, will increasingly inform mechanical tradition, as sports science, recovery timing and performance analytics inspire new complications and deeper collaborations in athletics and motorsport. Global tournaments will also shape storytelling, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and major winter and summer events prompting limited-edition releases that will likely become instant collectables. Finally, personalisation will continue to rise, with athlete-led editions and micro-collaborations allowing individual personalities to influence watch design in more expressive ways.
Luxury watches and sport are ultimately both about time: how it is measured, how it changes lives, and how one second can transform everything. The watch on an athlete’s wrist is no longer only a marker of taste. It is a symbol of discipline in training, focus in competition and the relentless pursuit of better. As 2026 approaches, this powerful relationship shows no sign of slowing. If anything, it is becoming more sophisticated, more emotional and more culturally relevant. Because when precision meets performance, the result is not just a watch or a win, it is a story that lasts.
The collaborations that changed the conversation
Some of the most recognisable relationships in modern luxury sit within this space.
Rolex and Tennis
One of the most elegant alliances in sport. Wimbledon’s emerald courts, timeless etiquette and legendary champions mirror the brand’s quiet confidence. Rolex ambassadors, from Federer to rising stars, reflect poise and consistency, reinforcing a message of endurance across generations.
Omega and Golf
Across leading tournaments, Omega highlights precision through patience and strategy, reflecting a sport where control and timing define every victory. The brand’s watches are also a favourite of the world’s top golfers.
Omega Invitational, Rory McIlroy
TAG Heuer and Motor Racing
TAG Heuer and motor racing are bound together by adrenaline. The Monaco and Carrera collections are not just inspired by racing culture — they helped define it. The image of a driver glancing at a chronograph before a corner remains one of watchmaking’s most enduring icons.
TAG Heuer back asthe official timekeeper of Formula 1in 2025
Richard Mille and High-Performance Sport
Richard Mille and high-performance sport have pushed boundaries further still. Ultra-light watches worn mid-match by Rafael Nadal or on Formula One circuits proved that haute horlogerie can live in motion rather than in safes. Shock resistance, exotic materials and audacious design turned laboratory experiments into a covetable reality.
Rafael Nadal wears Richard Mille
Odell Beckham wears Richard Mille
Hublot and Football
Hublot and football showed how contemporary luxury could embrace popular sport without losing exclusivity. From World Cup sponsorships to collaborations with leading clubs, the brand transformed the referee board into a cultural symbol and placed fine watchmaking in front of billions.
The Hublot Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Panerai and Sailing
And then there is Panerai and sailing, a natural extension of its maritime heritage. Yachting partnerships celebrate nautical adventure, strong legibility and instrument-grade reliability, brought together with Italian flair.
Panerai
