The Best UEFA EURO 2021 Watches

Let’s be truthful – if you’re tuning into UEFA EURO 2020 each evening, you’re doing it for one of three reasons; 1) you’re following every country because you’re a die-hard footy fan (this – the most likely reason). 2) You’re finding England’s performance riveting (not so likely). 3) you're genuinely intrigued to see which European footballers are wearing the best watches (bingo!).

No, truly – who is wearing what? I wanted to know. So, I formulated the following list of the best UEFA EURO 2020 watches, just in case you’re as interested as me (and if you’re into luxury watches and you follow all of Jura Watches’ most awaited timepieces, you’re probably just as desperate to know as me). So put the kettle on, kick your feet back and read all about it. The best watches of the UEFA EURO 2020 European Championships…

Some football stars are enjoying their role as an ambassador for some really prestigious watch brands right now. That’s no surprise. Because where there is money and sport – there is always luxury watches. And thus, to promote a luxury watch, a brand needs a successful and professional individual with a luxury lifestyle. As it goes, lifestyles don’t come more luxurious than that of a footballer’s. Audemars Piguet has been linked to Messi. Ronaldo is partial to a TAG Heuer and the list goes on and on (just wait until I get to my “Best Watches of Wimbledon 2020” article – coming soon my friends… coming soon!).

Figuring out who’s wearing which watch in the football industry is a little like going on a Safari trip. You spend hours quietly waiting, you think you glimpse a rare and wonderful native species – and then it’s gone again. Watches worn by professional footballers are sometimes quite a changeable thing. But what we do know is that when a sporting professional is acting as an ambassador for a brand or sporting a particular watch for some time, there must be a good reason for it. Richard Mille, Rolex, Patek Philippe and Hublot all feature in this article, but if you’re looking for some equally interesting alternatives, I’ve provided them too. You can go check those out on the Jura Watches site. Let’s get started… 

Kylian Mpbappé is ambassador for Hublot

French professional footballer, Kylian Mpbappé might be prone to the odd disagreement with his fellow teammates every once in a while (his row with Olivier Giroud the other week, for example), but he’s certainly able to hold his corner when it comes to tastes in watches. During the tournament, he has been seen sporting the Hublot Big Bang E Euro 2020 Edition. The ambassador for the brand also became the face of the Big Bang Millenial Pink and has been seen wearing various models from the Big Bang series ever since. The collection is known for its chunky case design, its imposing masculinity and its sporty chronograph dial. Those features are also shared with the likes of TAG Heuer. Take, for example, the Carrera Automatic Chronograph.

Powered by the Heuer 02 movement, this sporty chronograph offers the precision and reliability needed on the pitch. Housed inside a rose gold PVD-coated stainless steel case measuring 45mm in diameter, the sporty chronograph packs a punch on the wrist. The sapphire crystal glass caseback showcases the movement, capable of an 80-hour power reserve, whilst on the front of the design, a black dial is married with luxurious pink gold accents. These include the tachymeter scale, chronograph counter rings at 3 and 9 o’clock offering 30-minute and 12-hour functions, and a legible set of hands. Equally as stylish when pairing with formal attire or for evening events, the TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph is a watch that could easily meet the requirements of a professional footballer, either on or off the pitch.

Christian Erriksen wears the Patek Philippe 5712/1A

Christian Erriksen undoubtedly had the whole world rooting for him a couple of weekends ago in what is easily considered one of the most horrifying events to have happened in the history of football. Thankfully, now on the way to recovery, he can begin enjoying his Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712/1A again. This man is one of superb taste. The Nautilus is arguably one of the most iconic watch designs of all time and its unique case shape, inspired by an ocean liner’s porthole is certainly not lost on the Danish star.

If it’s unusual case shapes that catch your eye, however, then the new Bell & Ross Alpine Racing chronograph ref: BRV394-A521 may be a nice alternative to this footballer’s luxury watch. The model has a distinct tonneau-shaped case crafted from stainless steel and is clad in the Alpine team’s signature black and blue colourways as a way of celebrating its newness to Formula 1. The sporty Bell & Ross Alpine Racing watch is perfect whether on the bench or playing pitchside. Its chronograph counters at 9 and 3 o’clock providing 30-minute and 12-minute functions respectively are framed by a black aluminium tachymeter. The strong and masculine-infused look of the Bell & Ross Alpine racing watch is leveraged by bold push-pieces and a rugged metal bracelet to complete its steel sports watch look.

Giorgio Chiellini wears the Rolex Daytona × MAD Paris

Another industry icon, the Rolex Daytona, has been sported on the wrists of many a famous star, including Paul Newman, of course. The luxury chronograph has caught the attention of Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini too. He has been seen sporting the Rolex Daytona × MAD Paris. The luxury watch customizer has reinterpreted the famous Daytona watch along with the Submariner, Milgauss and Datejust models. The all-black look of the customized Rolex Daytona × MAD Paris is remarkably sleek and modern. It’s one of those watches that you’re either going to love or hate. But if you’re a fan of the original Rolex Daytona, you’ll find that a watch like the Breitling Navitimer Chronograph bridges the gap between the Daytona’s extortionate price tag and a more affordable alternative.

The Breitling Navitimer collection offers a whole host of finishes, dial designs and material case options, along with a choice in straps. But the Breitling Navitimer B01, although designed for pilots, still evokes that sporty chronograph look that many a professional footballer may be drawn to. This ref: RB0121211B1P1 is a somewhat more indulgent timepiece that would most likely suffice for wearing to evening sports events. That said, it has the classic 3-6-9 chronograph layout that the Rolex Daytona is loved for, as well as a tachymeter scale. Those with an interest in football and aviation alike will appreciate Breitling’s much sought-after slide rule bezel. The function is used for completing airborne calculations and, in this design, pairs well with its traditional brown leather strap.

Roberto Mancini wears the Richard Mille RM11-04

It makes perfect sense that since being a brand ambassador for Richard Mille since 2013, Italy manager Roberto Mancini wears the watchmaker’s eye-catching timepieces. In fact, his relationship with Richard Mille spans right back to when he was club manager at Manchester City. You might wonder which functions he requires most from his line of work? Well, the Richard Mille RM11-04 features an oversized date and a flyback chronograph feature for easy handling over the chronograph functions when measuring stopwatch-related timings. The most practical feature of this watch, however, is the dial, which displays match time based on two 45-minute halves. In addition to this, it features 15 minutes of stoppage time.

But if none of those features would prove themselves useful to you, you may just like the barrel-shaped case and the skeletonised dial of the Richard Mille RM11-04 watch, and there are plenty of alternatives on the market if you do. The Cyrus Kambys Titanium watch ref: 529.001.C would be one example. Its lightweight PVD-coated titanium case is carved into that standout barrel shape and its black skeletonised dial puts a few of the movement’s most eye-catching elements on show. Despite doing this, the dial remains pleasingly uncluttered. The central hands feature red tips while the movement sitting inside the case offers an impressive 7-day power reserve thanks to its manual twin-barrel winding mechanism. Because of its tonneau-shaped case, you can get away with the Cyrus Kambys Titanium model on both a slender and large-sized wrist. The watch comes complete with a sleek black rubber strap.

And that’s my top watch picks for UEFA EURO 2020 European Championships along with some alternatives that make great sports watches. If you’d like any more information on the models we’ve featured today, you can call a member of our sales team at Jura Watches on 01335 453453.