The Name of the Game

Celebrities are the tried-and-tested choice as ambassadors for luxury products, but sports stars are elevating the cachet of watch brands to stratospheric heights.

Seeing a timepiece on the wrist of today’s sporting heroes creates a powerful brand association. A watch endorsed by Michael Schumacher and Tiger Woods elevates the cachet of a brand to stratospheric heights, and watchmakers are recruiting across the vast arena of sports disciplines to find the perfect match.

Longines appointed tennis legend Andre Agassi as its worldwide brand ambassador last year and is the official timekeeper at Roland Garros in Paris, home to the French Open. The once long-haired tennis wizard, with 60 career singles titles to his name, is now working his magic off the court for the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. His generous heart and high visibility proved the perfect match for Longines, which has created three special limited-edition timepieces to raise funds and commemorate Agassi’s eight Grand Slam victories.

TAG Heuer has injected glamor and femininity to the brand with Maria Sharapova. The lithe blond beauty is as at home on the court as she is on the red carpet and has been involved in the development of TAG Heuer’s Formula 1 Glamour Diamonds watch, designed to capture her unique “blend of sport and seduction”.

TAG Heuer also made a double-eagle signing with Tiger Woods, the world’s number one golfer, while golfing wunderkind Michelle Wie is a future asset for Omega.