20 of the most expensive watches worn by the world's most elite athletes
Expensive Swiss mechanical watches don't have much practical use on the field, court, or track, though it's not uncommon to see the world's biggest athletes wearing high-end, luxury timepieces during their events.
Nevertheless, watch brands are eager to sponsor elite athletes, from fighters like Floyd Mayweather to tennis champions like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, not for their horological expertise but for their aura — which sells.
We got a helping hand from the experts at Crown & Caliber to determine the make and models of 20 timepieces worn by the world's top athletes.
Scroll down to see them ranked in ascending order of price:
Andy Murray — Rado Hyperchrome XXL, $3,475.
When Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon Championship in 2013, he was a Rado brand ambassador, and as soon as he won, he reportedly hurried to slap on his Rado Hyperchrome.
He put it on so quickly he didn't notice that it was seven hours out. He has since dropped Rado as a sponsor and instead works with brands such as Jaguar and Under Armour.
Roger Federer — Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel, L10,600 ($13,630).
Roger Federer is one of Rolex's best-known ambassadors, and you won't see him lifting a trophy without one of the luxury watches on his wrist, each of them hand-picked to match the tournament.
Back at the Australian Open in January, Federer lifted an impossible-to-find Rolex Sky-Dweller in stainless steel along with the trophy.
The Sky-Dweller is the most complicated watch that Rolex makes, according to Hodinkee.
While this watch was probably provided for him by Rolex, Federer wouldn't have much of an issue buying it as he was this year's fourth highest-earning athlete.
Elina Svitolina — Ulysse Nardin Marine Lady Chronometer, $45,500.
Elina Svitolina is one of the Ukraine's top tennis stars and is currently ranked number seven in the world. Since she has partnered up with Swiss brand Ulysse Nardin, she has been spotted wearing multiple models by them.
Here she is wearing the rose gold and diamond covered Marine Chronometer.
Rafael Nadal — Richard Mille RM27-02, $800,000.
Rafael Nadal is a big ambassador for Richard Mille and one of the very few athletes on this list who wears their watch while competing.
His specially designed Richard Mille RM27-02 was made with top-of-the-line shock absorption technology for a mechanical watch with a design inspired by racing car chassis. There is also orange in the design to reflect the clay courts of Roland Garros, where Nadal has dominated for so many years.
Serena Williams — Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage, $1.25 million.
Serena Williams topped her male counterparts when she wore the ludicrously opulent Audemars Piguet Diamond Outrage to the Met Gala last year.
The truly absurd looking spiked bracelet watch is made of white gold and encrusted with 65 carats worth of precious stones. The watch face itself is hidden beneath one of the spikes and is powered by a caliber 2701 quartz movement.
Williams has been sponsored by Audemars Piguet since 2014.
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