Most coaches consider watches to be a nice-to-have, but a solid sports watch should be the first buy after sports gear and a water bottle. It doesn’t have to be flashy or expensive to be effective; it just has to be a tried-and-true model that is worn daily.

Discipline is the foundation for responsibility and accountability, therefore arriving at training on time and prepared is crucial. In every part of life, time is crucial, especially if you’re an athlete. This is why today’s successful athletes invest in and enjoy the most prestigious timepieces, and vice versa. Featured in this article are some of the most renowned athletes and the watch brands they trust.

• Robert Lewandowski - Patek Philippe

Robert Lewandowski is a Polish professional footballer who captains the Poland national team and competes as a striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Lewandowski is recognized as one of the best strikers of all time, having earned the ‘European Golden Shoe’ season 20/21 and the ‘Best FIFA Men’s Player’ award in 2020. According to FFT’s Ed McCambridge, Lewandowski may not be the most skilled, jaw-dropping, roughest, or fastest player in the world, but he has developed a practice of executing the basic things better than anyone else in 2020, and he’s a master at it.

With yet another incredible season in front of goal, he has established his place in history as probably the greatest finisher of all time. In the Bundesliga, the Pole scored an incredible 41 goals, shattering Gerd Muller’s 49-year-old record, which appeared to be invincible. Even more astounding is the fact that the marksman accomplished this accomplishment in just 30 games after missing four games because of injury earlier in the season. Unstoppable, Lewandowski won the Bundesliga Player of the Season award for the fifth time in his career, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Because of his competencies and achievements, he deserves the greatest things in the world. Among them are the luxury items that embody his personality, success, and preference. In one of his interviews, he was seen sporting a 40.5mm Patek Philippe watch ref 5980/1R-001. The Nautilus Chronograph is in 18k rose gold with a black chronograph dial and gold applied hour markers.

• Max Verstappen - TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer gathered over 200 guests from the worlds of business, entertainment, and trade, on the 30th of August 2016 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to honor Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen. TAG Heuer produced the Max Verstappen Special Edition to commemorate his triumph as the youngest Formula 1 champion ever at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The watch features a blue aluminum bezel with a tachymeter scale and an orange area on the dial with the “18” of the 180 in bold to represent Max’s age when he claimed his first Formula One Grand Prix title. The watch also includes an orange perforated calf leather strap and the engraving “TAG Heuer Formula One Max Verstappen Youngest Grand Prix Winner Special Edition” on the caseback. This edition, however, was exclusively available in the Netherlands during its release.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo - Rolex

Giannis Antetokounmpo makes great strides throughout the NBA season. The most incredible transformation of all: from two-time MVP to legitimate watch connoisseur. Antetokounmpo wore only one timepiece before this season: the entry-level model of Rolex, the Oyster Perpetual. All of that changed in the offseason when he accepted a massive $228 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks while donning a Royal Oak Offshore.

Over the rest of the event, he accumulated even more valuable watches, such as a Rolex Submariner with a blue bezel, a Rolex Daytona with a “Panda” dial, and a flashy Rolex “Rainbow.” From a man who formerly stocked up on free water bottles, this is a tremendous step forward! While we wouldn’t have objected if Antetokounmpo had donned the Rainbow to Milwaukee’s city-wide victory celebration, he had something else in mind with this Sky-Dweller.

• Michael Phelps - Omega

The Seamaster Planet Ocean “Michael Phelps” Limited Edition is a bold timepiece that pays homage to American swimming star Michael Phelps, the most victorious Olympian of all time. Michael has been a loyal Seamaster supporter since 2004 and has been a special guest at various Omega events.

Only 280 pieces of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean “Michael Phelps” were made available. A tribute to the great swimmer’s 28 Olympic medals, 23 of which were gold. Even though Phelps is known for dashing ahead, the chronograph function on the watch keeps right on time.

The sapphire crystal caseback on the opposite side of the watch has an imprinted “Michael Phelps” logo, which exposes the movement in operation. The Omega Master Chronometer Calibre 9900 has been examined and authorized at the greatest level in the industry. Its dial is polished white ceramic with an orange Arabic numeral 12 and blued attached indexes. An integrated blue structured rubber strap with orange stitching and blue-orange rubber lining is used to hold the watch.

• Rafael Nadal - Richard Mille

Roland Garros’ only and all-time titleholder? There’s only one dude in the world who says “si”! ‘Longevidad,’ a concept that runs through Rafael Nadal’s incredible career as well as his friendship with Richard Mille. His unconventional playing style is described by terms such as tenacious, superstitious, and successful. They all connect with the only word that matters—triumphant!

Rafael Nadal, the crown jewel of the clay court, is regarded as the fiercest and aggressive fighter in tennis history. He won three of the four majors in 2010. With two Grand Slam victories and the top spot in the ATP rankings, the 2017 season was one of his greatest. Because of his victories, he became the only player in history to achieve so many thrilling French Open finals. Who can forget the extremely emotional 2020 final versus Novak Djokovic, in which Nadal still held aloft the same trophy he had carried so many times before, despite the unique hygienic conditions?

What’s more?

A sports watch can make a training session, particularly a basic interval program, more precise. A sports watch is not a replacement for a coach, but it provides an extra layer of support when a coach is unavailable. The mentioned watch brands involved in the career of successful sportsmen show timeless functionality and accuracy, making them one of the most trusted in the world.