RIO Olympics 2016: The Women's Luxury Watches

Rio is nearly upon us, and with team lineups confirmed I've been looking at some stats. Not how many wins each female athlete has notched up, or how fast they can run, or how long they can jump. No—I've been looking at the number of competitors sponsored by luxury watch brands. I wanted to know which legendary ladies would be rocking Rolex at the opening ceremony. Who'd be running with an Omega in her kit bag, hoping to strap it on before she takes to the winners' podium.
As I've looked into the luxury watch sponsorship deals of the greatest female athletes on the planet, I've been struck by just how few and far between they are. Of the brands that do give sporting girls the chance to glam it up with a free watch or two, Omega and Rolex stand out as clear winners. And of the sports in which ladies are represented by high-profile watch sponsors, tennis takes the gold. But it's hard to find many girls who are going to Rio with any kind of timepiece in their luggage. Maybe that's because the brands in question feel the guys have a higher profile. Maybe there just isn't as much money to be made from women's sports. And maybe, in years to come, we'll see Richard Mille creating watches for fast girls as well as fast boys. Hublot sponsoring Carmelita Jeter. But for now, well done Rolex and Omega. Here's my list of the girls who made the grade.
Jessica Ennis-Hill—Omega
There is no luxury watch brand as connected to the Olympic Games as Omega. Others might try to steal the limelight, but they can't get away from the fact that the logo on the official timers is Omega's.
It's little wonder, then, that Omega also steals all the best athletes. Like Jessica Ennis-Hill, whose public achievements and private life combine to make her the ultimate Olympic ambassador. In 2014, Ennis-Hill was named by the under-25s of the UK as the country's most inspirational figure. In the same year, she gave birth to her son, Reggie. Making her, potentially, one of a select group of track and field athletes who have won gold, had children, and returned to win gold again. In fact, only two other female athletes have done this—testament to the difficulty of regaining the extraordinary physical range required to compete in seven different disciplines, as well as to the ways in which motherhood changes outlook and priorities.
Jessica Ennis-Hill has altered her training regime to give her plenty of time with Reggie. Pitted against athletes who have no children to divide their focus, her chances may, technically, be slimmer. But she's out to win. And she'll do it wearing (off the track, at least) her Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. It's hard to tell exactly which model she wears, but from the photos (and the fact that this one isn't available until the end of July 2016, which makes it a potential Olympic model), I'd say Ennis-Hill is strapping on a Co-Axial Master Chronometer, 39.5 mm, in Sedna gold.
Sedna is Omega's own gold alloy (like Rolex's Everose), which blends copper, gold, and palladium to create a long-lasting rose hue. The Planet Ocean 600 M looks spectacular in it, thanks to the combination of its colour with the chocolate brown and Ceragold (another proprietary material) diver's bezel and the chocolate brown dial. And Ennis-Hill, who continues to be the poster girl for Team GB, four years after her spectacular triumphs at London 2012, looks spectacular wearing it. Let's hope she comes back from Rio with even more gold than she's got on her luxury watch.
Serena Williams—Audemars Piguet
Some athletes transcend the boundaries of their sport and become legends. Serena Williams is an icon for multiple generations of tennis players, and an inspiration to young girls everywhere. Her list of titles is, at the time of writing in 2016, more extensive than any other active tennis player of either gender. Her serve is generally believed to be the most effective in the history of women's tennis. So it's only fitting that her luxury watch is as powerful and iconic as she is.
Serena wears an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, 37 mm, with a pink gold case and white rubber strap (AP ref 26231OR.ZZ.D010CA.01). It appears on her wrist on the court, and (again at the time of writing) most recently showed up during the final of Wimbledon 2016, which Williams won in straight sets. Apparently, pink gold is fine for the All England Club's all-white dress code!
Serena has been wearing Audemars Piguet on the baseline since 2014. It's a sponsorship move that puts her firmly in the category of luxury watchmaking's most extreme ambassadors—alongside legendary Richard Mille family members like Felipe Massa and Rafael Nadal. And if you think trying to compete with Richard Mille in the endorsement stakes is a dangerous game, remember this. The movements inside Richard Mille's terrifyingly complex luxury sports watches are made by Audemars Piguet's own movement house, Renaud et Papi. Advantage AP.
Stacy Lewis—Omega

Stacy Lewis represents Omega watches in the Rio 2016 Olympics, as well as her home country the USA. Lewis' relationship with Omega began in 2013, when she was world number one in her sport and the leader of the LPGA money list. So yes, you guessed it—she's a golfer. One of the best on the planet.
Lewis, whose Rio 2016 team-mates include Lexi Thompson and Gerina Piller, plays top-level golf with a titanium rod in her back. At a young age, this prodigious talent was diagnosed with scoliosis and was given a spinal fusion operation just before she went to college. When signing for Omega in 2013, Lewis expressed her delight at joining up with a brand that showcases 'determination, elegance, and power'—the perfect counterparts to a career that has shown what grit and focus can do.
Lewis' model is the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 M Omega Co-Axial, 37.5 mm (Omega ref 232.33.38.20.04.001), in steel on a white leather strap. The bezel and dial are white: the dial is done in ceramic and is unidirectional as befits a diver's watch. Water resistant to 600 m, this Planet Ocean is just as at home on the golf course as it is in the sea. In fact, probably more so: I wouldn't recommend taking that nice leather bracelet down into the depths!
Caroline Wozniacki—Rolex
Rolex has a long history of snapping up the best athletes for its sponsorship family. It's something to do with the brand's obsession with quality. If you make the best, you need to sponsor the best.
OK, so there are some luxury watch people out there who would contend that Rolex doesn't make the best luxury watches in the world. But how can you argue with more than 100 years of history, a thriving resale market, and a veritable collection of celebrity endorsements? Rolexes have been to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. They've accompanied explorers on legendary expeditions. And they sit on the wrists of some of the most famous sports people in the world.
Caroline Wozniacki is certainly a Rolex fan. The Danish legend will be unleashing her powerful right-forehand smashes in Rio this year—and she'll be wearing a Rolex Lady Datejust on her left wrist. And it isn't your run-of-the-mill small-sized Datejust, either. As befits a lady with a big serve, Wozniacki prefers to rock a 36 mm Datejust with pink dial, in stainless steel.
Agnieszka Radwanska—Rado
When you find a top woman athlete with a luxury watch sponsor, she's almost certain to be a tennis player. Like Agnieszka Radwanska. Nicknamed 'The Professor' by her peers, Radwanska is famous for the smart use she makes of angles and court positions. Her skill and thoughtful playing style have earned her 18 singles titles at the time of writing. They've also netted her a sponsorship deal with Rado—you know, the brand Andy Murray forgot to wear when he won the US Open back in 2012.
Rado is a nice alternative luxury watch brand, with a focus on technology and style. Radwanska has worn a Rado Esenza, a very feminine tech piece that is touch-controlled (swipe right on the case to advance the minutes, and left to change the hours). She's also been seen wearing a Rado HyperChrome Automatic Diamonds. This piece is in what Rado calls 'plasma high-tech ceramic' and gunmetal PVD stainless steel, with a ceramic bracelet. The bezel is set with diamonds.
As I've said, it's hard to find female athletes who are sponsored by, or have any connection with, the world of luxury watches. This might be a reflection on a 'sponsorship gap' between the guys and the girls (it's pretty easy to come up with a list of top male athletes who wear expensive watches courtesy of expensive watch brands). Or it might simply be the case that many of the lady competitors at Rio 2016 are still too young and too unproven to be worth a luxury watch sponsor. Though when you look at the experience and skill in Team GB alone, and count off the number of British athletes who have a watch sponsor (it's one: Jessica Ennis-Hill), you have to wonder. Maybe in four years…
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