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Lionel Messi was only 17 years old when he became the youngest player in the La Liga tournament for FC Barcelona in 2004. Over the next four years, he transformed into the most dominant player in soccer and earned upwards of $100 million per year on the field. As a talented player who broke many records each season, Messi has always been in the spotlight for his professional and personal life. Along with playing on the field, he is also the face of many expensive brands worldwide. With a net worth of over $600 million, he likes to spend his fortune buying luxury items, including timepieces.
While many celebrities stick to a few brands for their watches, Lionel has varied tastes and likes to collect timepieces from high-end watchmakers around the world. From Jacob & Co. to Rolex.
Porsche Design Huawei Watch 2
Released in July 2017, Huawei began collaborating with Porsche in February of the same year and introduced the $925 timepiece with Lionel Messi as the face of the campaign. The timepiece, designed in all-black for a classic appearance, has a hybrid strap with red stitching and a stainless steel case, as mentioned byThe Verge. The watch is installed with Porsche’s custom watch-face configuration that allows the user to use any color scheme and give a personal touch to their timepiece.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
As a brand ambassador for Audemars Piguet during the early 2010s, Messi was often spotted wearing a timepiece from the brand. One of his most-worn watches was a Royal Oak “Leo Messi” Chronograph limited to 1,000 units. Sized 41 mm, he owns the watch in steel/tantalum and comes with a lacquered dial than the Tapisserie dial, as seen on Audemars Piguet timepieces. It retailed at $25,990, the watch sold at a Sotheby’s auction for a whopping $81,850.
Rolex Yacht-Master Everose
One of the latest watches in his collection, made from 18-carat Everose Gold, costs a whopping $26,000. Lionel Messi was first spotted wearing the Rolex Yacht-Master in August 2021 when he greeted his new fans of Paris St.-Germain at the airport. As stated by GQ, it is a durable watch with a usable ceramic bezel and a black rubber strap. The collection has gained popularity ever since he wore it as it was a historic moment for the football player who had moved to a new football club after playing with Barcelona for nine years.
Rolex Datejust 36
Introduced in 1940 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Rolex, Datejust was released in 18-carat yellow gold. Over time, the brand has evolved its timepiece and launched it in various shades. Designed with a sleek Jubilee bracelet, it has a dark rhodium dial and baton hour markers surrounded by rose gold. Messi owns a $45,000 Datejust in a combination of steel and Everose gold from the collection released in 2018.
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon
A stunning combination of elegance and technology, the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon is a stunning watch that costs $94,700 and is produced every two years. The collection was introduced in 2005, and the timepiece has been through several transformations to become an iconic design that makes Big Bang Tourbillon stand out. The unique piece comes with a sapphire bezel glass and a Super-LumiNova, a raised section over the hour and minute hands.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
A watch meant for a formal occasion, The player owns the Patek Philippe Nautilus in steel with a white dial, as mentioned by the Swiss Watch Expo. He owns the time and date version of the watch, which features an integrated bracelet and a simple grove dial and baton unique to the moniker Nautilus. One of the most desirable watches, the steel Nautilus has a long waitlist. It is an expensive and rare timepiece with a retail price of $119,000.
Jacob & Co. Epic X Chronograph
In 2019, Messi joined hands with Jacob & Co. to become the face of the brand for its watch collection. The soccer player collaborated with the watchmaker to introduce the Epic X Chronograph ‘Messi’ collection, produced in limited numbers. According to Forbes, Jacob & Co. launched a diamond-baguette set version worth $150,000 in March 2019. The 47 mm watch has 27 jewels with Messi’s jersey number 10 printed in dramatic red color.
Jacob & Co. Grand Complication Epic
A watch that defies traditional watches, Jacob & Co. experimented with a new design when they inaugurated the Grand Complication Epic SF24 Tourbillon worth $236,000. Dubbed as the world traveler’s watch, it comprises 163 components and comes with a split-flap time display to indicate the city and date of the location on the dial. Equipped with a 48-hour power reserve, it has a self-winding mechanism in a cutting-edge shape.
Being one of the most famous players in the world, Lionel Messi has received a lot of traction from the beginning of his career. Every brand promoted and timepiece worn by the soccer star has gained popularity. With several watches in his collection being rare and hard to attain, the value of his collection increases over time.
Sources: The Verge, GQ, Swiss Watch Expo, Forbes