Round-UpTop 5 NBA All-Stars And Their Watches

The 2017 NBA Finals made history with the two teams (Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers) meeting for the finals for a third consecutive year. The Golden State Warriors took home the trophy by completing “one of the greatest all-time playoff performances” marking their second NBA title in three years. But today, we are not talking about the game (as exciting and as interesting it might be), we are in fact going to talk about the players and their watches. Not just any NBA player but the crème de la crème of the NBA universe. Our very own NBA All-Stars and their watches!

For this article, we at The Watch Guide are listing down our top five NBA All-Stars from LeBron James to the all-time favourite Michael Jordan. So without further ado, let’s get right into it.

1. Michael Jordan:

We have to start with the best of the best, right? Michael Jordan, also known as Air Jordan is called the “greatest basketball player of all-time” by Forbes and rightly so. In his 15 year long career, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships and is also a five-time winner of the Most Valuable Player Award. With such an impressive career, Jordan has managed to inspire and influence the world of basketball, from the players to the game itself. Akin to his name “Flying Jordan”, Michael also makes a huge leap when it comes to his personal collection of watches. From time to time, he has been spotted wearing the finest timepieces on his wrist, from Ulysse Nardin to Jacquet-Droz. For us, the one that stands out from the collection is his IWC Big Pilot Platinum (ref. 5002-02) which he wore to the White House when he was being awarded the ‘Presidential Medal of Freedom’, and the world could not get enough of it!

Editor’s Pick: IWC Big Pilot (ref. IW500916)

There is no doubt that the IWC Big Pilot is a worthy timepiece to be seen on the wrist of one of the most celebrated basketballers of all time. Our pick – the IWC Big Pilot (ref. IW500916), features a similar classic blue dial with an appropriately sized 46mm stainless steel case. Perfect size for a big man like Jordan. Strapped to a brown calfskin leather strap, the timepiece is indicative of a classic watch meant for legends in any discipline. Apart from great looks, the watch also delivers great functionality. Equipped with a 7 days power reserve (displayed on the dial), the watch runs on an automatic movement (A51111 Calibre), has a soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields and a sapphire crystal with antireflective coating on both sides for maximum protection. In fact, the glass is secured against displacement by drop in air pressure. The Big Pilot is presented on a handsome brown calfskin strap by Santoni.

2. LeBron James:

If Michael Jordan is the greatest NBA player of all-time, LeBron is easily the most recognisable and popular player of his time. A powerful and idiosyncratic personality, just like his unique character, even his distinctive collection of watches is pretty special. Much has been talked about the customised Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that he wears, since the legendary basket-baller is rarely seen without his favourite Audemars Piguet on his wrist!

3. Kobe Bryant:

The LA Lakers superstar has made history by winning five NBA titles along with establishing himself as one of the game’s best point leader for over 20 years. Outside the court, he has scored the coveted Hublot brand ambassador title. The avant-garde brand celebrated the player’s legacy by launching not one but three watches, dedicated solely to him! Starting from the 2013 Hublot King Power Black Mamba to the 2015 Hublot Big Bang Unico Retrograde Chronograph Kobe ‘Vino’ Bryant watch. Most recently, Hublot introduced the Classic Fusion Kobe Bryant ‘Hero Villian’  to commemorate the special occasion of the NBA legend’s retirement. The 24-piece limited edition also celebrates the incredible journey of the player, bringing his vision, emotions and story to the watch.

Editor’s Pick: Hublot Classic Fusion (ref. 511.NX.2611.LR)

Handcrafted to perfection, the Hublot Classic Fusion belongs to the more subtle and discreet legion of Hublot watches. The Classic Fusion offers luxury watch buyers a rather unassuming timepiece (when compared to the usual Hublot Big Bangs) with a contemporary and modern persona. The 44mm polished and satin-finished titanium case features the classic 6 H-shaped titanium bezel that is brushed to perfection. The Opaline coloured dial and satin-finished Rhodium-plated appliques make sure the modest nature of the watch stays intact. Under the hood, powering the watch is the HUB 1112 movement that offers an impressive 42-hours power reserve. The black alligator strap with a stainless steel deployant buckle clasp makes sure the watch is fastened securely to the wrist.

4. Stephen Curry:

A widely popular player with global appeal, and a two-time MVP award winner, Stephen Curry has not only impressed the world with his ‘baller’ skills but his fashion style too. The world is paying special attention to his impeccable skills on the court and his style off the court. Especially when it comes to his huge collection of watches that includes a Corum. But from his superb collection of masterful timepieces, the one that really caught our attention was the Movado Museum Classic. A simple, classic and iconic timepiece from an incredibly approachable and innovative watch brand. A perfect choice actually, for the young people who look up to him and want to imbibe his style (without breaking the bank)!

Editor’s Pick: Movado Museum Classic

We’re so impressed by this collection that our Editor’s Pick too, is the Museum Classic! This is one collection that includes an array of choices in terms of dial colours (blue and black) and strap options (leather, steel and two-tone bracelets). The simple dial features a tone-on-tone outer ring and the signature dot at 12 o’clock (which symbolises the sun at high noon). This design was conceived by American designer Nathan George Horwitt who was deeply influenced by the Bauhaus School. One of the most easily recognisable watches of the 21^st century, the Movado Museum Classic collection easily makes a statement on your wrist, without trying hard at all!

Read more about the collection, here.

5. Andre Iguodala:

The Golden State Warriors’ forward has been quietly and steadily making his mark, not only in the world of basketball but the horological universe as well. Andre Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP is an avid watch collector himself, and has been very vocal about his love for everything watches. Like every watch collector in the world, he owns several timepieces that mean the world to him, which includes his beloved Audemars Piguet collection to a range of other classics.

Despite the wide range of watches that he owns, today we will be talking about Panerai. A watch brand that means a lot to him – you must have heard the story of him losing his Panerai (the one he was wearing when he was first drafted) from the locker room during a game at Madison Square Garden. Regardless of the unfortunate event, Andre still sports a Panerai on his wrist. He wears the Panerai Luminor 8 Days Ceramic GMT and loves pairing it casually with grey or black outfits.

Editor’s Pick: Panerai Radiomir Ceramica (ref. PAM00643)

The all black Panerai Radiomir Ceramica is deeply inspired by Panerai’s historic watch that was first introduced in 1938 and was specially made for the Italian Navy. The 45mm black ceramic case features a patented removable wire loop strap attachment and a black ceramic bezel. Like all Panerai timepieces, the black dial features highly luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers that are set against the background of Paris hobnails decoration. Powered by an exclusive OP-X calibre hand-wound movement and strapped to a black Calf Assolutamente leather strap, the watch is supremely cool technically, as well as visually.

All watches featured above are available at Ethos Watch Boutiques.

What did you think of our NBA All-Star players and their watches? Any icon that isn’t on the list? Let us know in the comments section below!