Gold, silver, bronze: the podium finish of the best watches at the Olympics
Luke BenedictusIt comes around every four years. That magnificent stage where the entire world gets to compete. Remarkable athletes from every corner of the planet going up against the best of the rest. I’m talking, of course, about the chance for glory as Time+Tide doles out the medals for the top watches worn in Olympic competition.
Gold: Mutaz Essa Barshim in his Richard Mille RM 67-02 High Jump
Mutaz Barshim understands the value of accessories. The Qatari high jumper competed in a pair of oversized sunglasses – Oakley Katos to be precise – whose purpose wasn’t exactly performance-enhancing. Not only was he competing in a night-time arena, but the Oakleys fell off his face every time he completed a jump. After clearing 2.37m, Barshim finally tied for the gold medal with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi. The pair proceeded to embrace with such gusto that Barshim broke his sunglasses. “It’s OK,” he said. “I’ve got like 50 pairs.”
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Barshim’s watch was also pretty fly. Specially made for him in the colours of the Qatari flag, the RM 67-02 High Jump is a variation on the RM 67-01 and weighs just 32g, making it Richard Mille’s lightest automatic timepiece. This featherlight build comes courtesy of a combination of TPT® composite materials, grade 5 titanium and an elastic wristband – the lightest strap ever created by the brand. To maintain its ultra-thin dimensions, the watch is powered by the CRMA7 calibre that boasts a Carbon TPT and white-gold rotor and a Grade 5 titanium baseplate. In short, it’s a watch built for the high life.
Silver: Belinda Bencic in her Rolex Daytona Ref. 116503 Two-Tone With Black Dial
Belinda Bencic has done Switzerland proud. She clinched the greatest achievement of her career by becoming the Olympic tennis champion and promptly followed that up by gaining a silver in the women’s doubles. Given Bencic’s country of birth, there was presumably considerable pressure on her wrist game, too, but this proved another yet area where she acquitted herself with aplomb.
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In the above post, watchspotter supreme @niccoloy noticed that Bencic was wearing a two-tone Rolex Daytona when she awarded a medal to her doubles team-mate team mate Viktorija Golubic. This 2011 model brings a bit of razzle-dazzle to the famous chronograph. But it was also pitch-perfect for this occasion, the two-tone nature of the watch brilliantly matching Bencic’s achievements in being both silver (coloured) and gold.
Bronze: Rayssa Leal in her Apple Watch
Skateboarding has been a fun addition to the Olympics that brought a more youthful dimension to the Games. On the podium for the women’s park skateboarding, for example, Japanese 12-year-old Kokona Hiraki scooped the silver while Britain’s 13-year-old Sky Brown took bronze.
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Similarly in the street competition, @dimepiece.co noticed that Brazilian Rayssa Leal took out the silver medal while wearing an Apple Watch with her skate gear. It might not be haute horology, but as Zach has previously explained smartwatches can be the gateway drug into serious collecting, bringing the attention of the younger generation back to the wrist.