- Cristiano Ronaldo has an impressive collection of watches
- Many of his collections feature bold designs and staggering price tags
- Southgate’s loyalty to players is a problem and a weakness – where it all started
For the past two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo has been obsessed with becoming the best player in the world.
Debate remains divided as to whether he ranks above Lionel Messi in the all-time rankings, but there is no doubt that his work ethic has propelled him to the top of the game.
Messi is generally considered to have more talent, but Ronaldo’s mentality has made him an unstoppable force and helped him win five Ballon d’Or awards.
But while Ronaldo arguably works harder than anyone to maintain his status as one of the best footballers in the world, he also makes sure he finds time to pursue hobbies away from the pitch.
His biggest obsession off the field is well known. watch.
The global superstar is rarely without a watch, and we’re not talking about your average watch either. Since moving to Saudi Arabia, the superstar has had more time to devote to his favorite pastime, but it’s far from a recent interest.
Ronaldo’s interest in watches first became apparent during his time at Real Madrid, when he was seen wearing large baguette diamonds. How much does this cost, you ask? Just $1 million (£800,000).
Set with an astonishing 761 diamonds, the watch covers five different time zones, allowing you to know the time in your hometown as well as in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Paris.
Considering there are reportedly only six such watches in the world, it’s no surprise it’s so expensive.
You’d be forgiven for thinking it couldn’t be done, but he’s also wearing a watch that’s more expensive than that.
The Portugal striker wore a $2 million (£1.6 million) Franck Muller Invisible Baguette Diamond Imperial Tourbillon watch at a 2018 Juventus press conference.
Featuring a total of 474 diamonds and approximately 70 rubies, this gleaming silver watch is edged in red and is almost impossible to miss.
It’s a bold design, but it’s nothing new for Ronaldo.
He has previously shown off a one-of-a-kind Hublot watch with a black strap and a unique teardrop shape at the base of the wrist. Again, this product is priced at $1 million (£800,000).
Ronaldo also wore a £605,000 Rolex Daytona, which stood out with its gold wristband and pearl dial.
He spent a further £392,000 on another Rolex, a Rolex GMT-Master II, and wore it to the 2019 Dubai International Sports Congress.
But with the 38-year-old watch, there’s more to it than just the price.
Cristiano Ronaldo attended a press conference wearing a watch worth just £45,000 before heading to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.
Still, it’s a striking luxury piece, a rose gold watch studded with 26 baguette-cut diamonds.
Ronaldo has an amazing collection of watches, but he doesn’t keep them all for himself.
Last month he gave away a luxury watch worth £87,000 to former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou ahead of his exciting crossover fight with British boxer Tyson Fury.
Ngannou posted a video of himself opening his gift on social media, looking pleased with his gift.
So, is this just a personal hobby for Ronaldo, or are there other reasons?
Well, Ronaldo actually has a partnership with Swiss watchmaker Jacob & Co, which partly explains his desire to market the watch at any opportunity.
In May they gave him a watch worth £92,000 and he celebrated with a display on the clock face.
In addition to wearing these watches in public, he can also be seen promoting them on social media.
Just last weekend, I posted a photo of myself wearing a Jacob & Co CR7 Limited Series watch while visiting a store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The post has over 10 million likes on Instagram, which means he’s giving the company the publicity they want.
Giving Ngannou one of the world’s biggest sports stars another of his watches will only create more hype around the product.
And don’t expect Ronaldo to cut back on his watch ads anytime soon.
Earlier this year, he took a stake in online watch marketplace Chrono24 after investing an undisclosed amount in the company.
“As a long-time watch collector and regular user of Chrono24, I am delighted to now become a shareholder in the company,” he said in a statement following the investment.
“Chrono24 unites millions of watch enthusiasts from around the world to share their passion – I understand this global unity well and am excited to be a part of it.”
There’s no doubt that Ronaldo is a watch aficionado, having worn luxury brands like Hublot and Rolex over the years.
But when you add that he also has a vested interest in multiple watch companies, it becomes easier to understand why he’s so passionate about watches.
His relentless work on the pitch has become his trademark and he enjoyed another outstanding goalscoring season in Saudi Arabia after leaving Europe at the start of the year.
Now, he’s making waves in the watch industry away from the pitch, and when he finally hangs up his boots, you wouldn’t bet on him going on to even greater success.