Despite the new Premier League season starting just a few weeks ago, fans up and down the country already have to take an unwelcome break from their favourite club. Sam Allardyce’s “new look” England team played the first game of their World Cup Qualifying campaign on Sunday evening. His side managed to just scrape through with a 1-0 victory against Slovakia thanks to a last minute goal from Adam Lallana.
Many English football fans do consider themselves supporters of club first, country second and will be looking forward to business as usual when the Premier League returns this weekend. But today First Class Watches is all about the Three Lions as we find out whether or not England Footballers buy the best watches.
Jack Wilshire – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore
Jack Wilshire may not have made the cut for Sam Allerdyce’s first squad, but he has been in and around the England squad for years. Well… whenever he hasn’t been injured! With all of that free time Jack has had recovering from injuries, you can imagine that he’ll have had a lot of time to find the best watches – and what a great choice he made for his watch.
The first Royal Oak watch was released in 1972 and it was the first watch to be made completely out of stainless steel. The watch is still considered to be one of the most innovative in watchmaking history and has had a huge impact on the wide range of watches made out of stainless steel today.
Eric Dier – Rolex Explorer
Eric Dier had a very productive summer, scoring England’s first goal of the tournament and coming out of the competition with a lot of credit compared to his compatriots. He impressed in the defensive midfield position in Hodgson’s England side and he will be hoping that he remains a permanent fixture in the side for years to come. Just like the beautiful Rolex Explorer watch is likely to become a permanent fixture on his wrist.
The Rolex Explorer is made out of stainless steel, ensuring that it is strong and sturdy – just like Eric Dier has been in the centre of England’s midfield! It is certainly one of the best watches you will see on an England players wrist. At a cost of £4,300 it isn’t exactly an “affordable watch” but it is a lot less expensive than the watches you’ll see on other England players’ wrists!
Daniel Sturridge – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar
Daniel Sturridge is as well known for his dance moves as he is for his spectacular goals. While he has not been a permanent fixture in the England starting line-up, he has never failed to make an impact when he has been a part of the team. At the European Championships he scored an important late goal against Wales, but only managed to get on the pitch for 8 minutes of Sam Allerdyce’s first game.
Like Jack Wilshire, Daniel Sturridge has been out injured quite a bit over the last year and – just like Jack Wilshire – Sturridge sports a Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Who knows, maybe the two players decided to look through the best watches together! The variant of Royal Oak that Daniel Sturridge wears is much more expensive than Wilshire’s however, costing a cool £50,000.
Jamie Vardy – Hublot Rose Gold
I’m sure when Jamie Vardy was turning out at Bracken Moor for non-league club Stocksbridge Park Steels for £30 a week he could never have imagined wearing a watch which costs over £25,000. But he can certainly afford one now that he is earning over £5 million per year! After an incredible second season in the Premier League, the 29 year old has a lot to look forward to. He was named in Allerdyce’s first England squad (although he didn’t get on the pitch) and a movie is being made about his amazing rise from the non-league to the Premier League.
A watch from Hublot seems more than apt for Jamie Vardy as they have too had a meteoric rise in the wrist watch world. Despite many luxury watch brands focusing their marketing on their history, Hublot have only been around since 1980 but are one of the most popular luxury brands on the market today.
And as for The Legends….
While the new generation of England superstars seem to be just as adept at poor competition performances as the old lot, how do their wrist watches fare? Is it the newer or older England superstars who sport the best watches?
Rio Ferdinand – Franck Muller Conquistaor
Rio Ferdinand always seemed to enjoy his big money moves. He first swapped West Ham for Leeds for £18 million, he then angered Leeds fans with a move to Manchester United just two years later for £34 million. He won a lot of honours at club level with 6 Premier League medals, 3 League Cup medals and a single Champions League medal. Unfortunately, along with the rest of England’s “Golden Generation”, this success was never replicated at international level.
As for his choice of wrist-watch, however, there is no doubt that he made a fantastic choice. Rio Ferdinhand has often been known for his love of luxury and high fashion and this watch combines the two. This is a self-winding mechanical watch which is one of the best watches you can buy if you have a spare £12,500.
Steven Gerrard – Zenith Defy Xtreme Open Sea
Steven Gerrard might not have managed to end his career as a “one-club man” but he is still loved by the Liverpool faithful – and for good reason. Despite failing to win a Premier League medal, Steven Gerrard captained the Liverpool side who won the Champions League in one of the most exciting finals of all time. AC Milan raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half and the game seemed out of sight – but the second half was something to behold. Steven Gerrard scored from a header and then won the penalty which led to the equaliser. In the end Liverpool managed to come out on top in nail-biting penalty shoot out on a night which will live long in the memory of all who watched it.
In terms of a wrist watch, Gerrard wasn’t afraid to choose one which will stand out amongst the crowd. His Defy Xtreme Open Sea is waterproof to 1000m and is made out of aluminium, titanium and carbon-fibre. Oh, and if you want one, you’re too late – only 250 were released worldwide!
Frank Lampard – Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Montoya
The midfield paring of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard both intrigued and frustrated England fans over the years. Both consistently performed at the top level for their clubs, but almost every England fan agreed that they could not seem to play in the same side. Despite this, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson all picked them to play together.
Frank Lampard was arguably the more successful of the two as well. He won 3 Premier League medals, 4 FA Cup medals, 2 League Cup Medals, a Europa League medal and a Champions League medal. He is now playing in the same league as Steven Gerrard and celebrated his 300th career goal with “Frank Lampard Day”. Although maybe the MLS have recognised something many England managers didn’t – the two can’t play in the same team!
Whether Lampard or Gerrard were the best midfielder is something England fans will argue over – and the argument as to who has the best watches will be just as controversial. While Gerrard went for something which definitely stands out, Lampard went for something very similar to the new generation of England Superstars – an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Lampard’s Royal Oak is a limited edition designed for F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya. It looks pretty spectacular but, unfortunately, even if you could stump up the £24,000 you wouldn’t be able to get one today – only 500 were ever made!
Conclusion
England players certainly have some of the best luxury watches on the market today, but there are many other great watches out there for those who look. And a good place to start if you want to find a great watch without breaking the bank is the First Class Watches website which has some of the best watches you can find online. Take a look today and get one in time for the Premier League to return this weekend!
Images: Ronnie Macdonald, , , Pioeb, Gordon Flood, Nigel Wilson,
