From elegant designs to the outrageous, we look at the timepieces on show at the 2024 Australian Open.
Rewind 15 years or so ago, and you would be hard-pressed to find expensive timepieces on the regular on the wrists of competing tennis players. Wearing an expensive watch to a game of professional tennis is normal, as one tends to dress up in a classy manner for the events; however, on the court, it is a different question entirely.
Wearing a high-end luxury timepiece used to be a player’s post-match routine, especially a winning player, for when they hold the trophy, the watch glistens in the spotlight. As a watch brand, you couldn’t ask for better advertising as millions would be watching this moment. Now, in the modern day, wearing a luxury timepiece on the court has become part of some athlete’s match attire.
More and more brands are getting involved, and some are even developing watches specifically to be worn during matches. More famously, brands like Richard Mille have partnered up with superstars and up-and-coming talents to design and create timepieces that are ideal for the fast-paced tennis conditions. Superstars like Rafael Nadal, who has a collection of Richard Mille timepieces dedicated to him, with the tennis legend also having input into the creation of some of these timepieces. We recently did an article on Rafael Nadal’s insane Richard Mille collection, which you can read here!
With the 2024 Australian Open well underway, we look at some of the players who have been spotted wearing luxury timepieces on their wrists during the match, press conferences/photoshoots and post-match interviews!
Carlos Alcaraz – Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona Oysterflex Bracelet
Carlos Alcaraz is rarely seen on the court wearing a timepiece. However, outside the playing field, he is seen sporting Rolex timepieces. In particular, his favourite seems to be the yellow gold Rolex Daytona on the Oysterflex bracelet. You can get a faint glimpse of the watch in the above 2024 Australian Open photoshoot the player did.
The latest version of Rolex’s Cosmograph Daytona comes in a 40mm case made from 18ct yellow gold, featuring a black Cerachrom bezel with a tachymeter scale.
Model Reference: 126518LN
Price: AUD $49,100
Novak Djokovic – Hublot Big Bang Unico Blue Magic 42mm
During his post-match interview with Australia’s own Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic was seen wearing his trusted Hublot Big Bang Unico Blue Magic 42mm. Even though Novak is a Hublot ambassador, his taste in watches is certainly up there, with its stand-out design and colour scheme.
The Hublot Big Bang Unico Blue Magic 42mm comes in a polished blue ceramic case with a matching black and blue structured lined rubber strap. The polished ceramic case is beautiful to see as it plays well with light. The watch also comes with the brand’s in-house HUB1280 UNICO movement, powering the watch to 72 hours of autonomy.
Model Reference: 441.ES.5119.RX
Price: AUD $34,700
Grigor Dimitrov – Bianchet Flying Tourbillon Grande Date Hybrid Green
During the epic showdown between Dimitrov and Kokkinakis at John Cain Arena, the Bulgarian Tenis superstar was seen wearing the stand-out timepiece Bianchet Flying Tourbillon Grande Date Hybrid Green on court!
This timepiece is lightweight, measuring 55 grams, which is why Grigor Dimitrov can wear the watch on his wrist and effortlessly swing the racquet without the watch weighing him down. The Bianchet Flying Tourbillon Grande Date Hybrid Green is a blend of high-tech materials and cutting-edge technology, all encapsulated in a skeletonised dial with a flying tourbillon feature. Oh, it also comes with 5000G of shock resistance.
Model Reference: B 1.618
Price (Approx): AUD $127,000
Daniil Medvedev – Bovet Ottantasei Tourbillon
During Daniil Medvedev’s quarter-final interview in the Australian Open 2024, he was spotted wearing the Bovet Ottantasei Tourbillon. The player has been spotted with this timepiece in the past, and it’s certainly an amazing timepiece. Bovet is one of the masters of creating mechanical artistry in watches, and this is no exception.
The Bovet OttantaSei Tourbillon is designed in collaboration with Pininfarina, and is proof of the two Houses’ alchemy. The watch exhibits some incredible features, including a 10-day power reserve!
Model Reference: TPINS005
Price (Approx): AUD $428,482
Andrey Rublev – Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton 40mm
Andrey Rublev has been spotted wearing the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton 40mm on one of his Instagram posts. This timepiece seems to be one of his favoured pieces, as the tennis star has been spotted wearing this watch on a number of occasions, especially during match trophy ceremonies.
The Bulgari Octo Finissimo Skeleton 40mm comes in a black ceramic case with an extra-thin skeletonised mechanical movement. The timepieces have been developed and produced entirely in-house and are an exception timepiece that showcases Bulgari’s integration of innovative materials and design.
Model Reference: 103126
Price (Approx): AUD $49,100
Hubert Hurkacz – Gerald Charles GC Sport (GC2.0-TX-TN-01)
During his round two match at the 2024 Australian Open, Hubert Hurkacz was seen wearing the Gerald Charles GC Sport (GC2.0-TX-TN-01) on the court. The Polish tennis star has been seen wearing this timepiece numerous times, especially on the court, as it seems to fare well playing with it on his wrist.
The Gerald Charles GC Sport (GC2.0-TX-TN-01) has been tested and approved by some of the world’s most successful professional athletes, making it an ideal candidate for wristwear during a high-intensity tennis match. The timepiece has a clean, elegant three-hander aesthetic design, while the case is made from grade 5 titanium making it durable, lightweight and ultra-thin. The watch weighs in at 50 gr ca.
Model Reference: GC2.0-TX-TN-01
Price (Approx): AUD $34,800
Sebastian Korda – Richard Mille RM 67-02
During one of his matches at the 2024 Australian Open, Sebastian Korda was spotted wearing the Richard Mille RM 67-02 underneath his sweat wristband. The American tennis player is an ambassador for Richard Mille, which certainly comes with its perks. The player has a watch dedicated to him, called the Sebastian Korda Watch, which is what you see on his wrist.
The Sebastian Korda Watch (Richard Mille RM 67-02) is one incredible timepiece created to thrive in high-intensity Tennis matches. The watch weighs at an impressive 32 grams, meaning you’ll barely even feel it on your wrist. The watch is a combination of Quartz TPT® and Carbon TPT® composites, grade 5 titanium and boasts the lightest strap the brand has ever created.
Model Reference: RM 67-02
Price (Approx): AUD $400,000- 500,000
