The hallowed question that sits on the nation’s lips returns once more: is it coming home? Well, the jury’s very much out as the FIFA World Cup officially kicked off this week, running until the grand final on 19 July. There might’ve been raised eyebrows over this year’s England squad, but regardless, it’s time to dig out the shirts, and let the sounds of Fat Les screaming Vindaloo echo into the ether, fastening the three lions to your chest once more.
The countdown to England’s clash with Croatia is well underway, with pubs across the country granted extended opening hours until 2am on England match days. As supporters begin dusting off lucky shirts and debating sweepstake fortunes, we thought there was no better time to turn our attention to the horological expression of the beautiful game. From subtle nods to footballing heritage to bold designs inspired by the sport itself, there’s a legacy of watches paying tribute to the sport from past to present.
Whether England’s campaign ends in glory remains to be seen (in Thomas Tuchel we trust). What is certain, however, is that while not everyone will be taking home a winning sweepstake ticket, a football-inspired watch might just prove the more enduring trophy instead. “No more need for dreaming,” as they say. Your next watch is right here.
For the sovereign that conducts the chaos amid ninety minutes, a referee without a watch is as nonsensical as a football game ever actually being ninety minutes. And while these governors of the game induce a whole spectrum of emotions from us throughout that time (mainly rage), they don some pretty interesting tickers to keep them on track. Take this 1979 referee watch from Omega, bestowed with a 45-minute timer as its centrepiece, calculating the duration of half a match.
At 44mm in PVD-coated steel, it boasts a bold yellow and blue dial, with the yellow sector accounting for extra time elapsed beyond the 45 – because as we all know, there’s a lot of mimicked cries and rolling around in this game we so love. You might be looking a bit Team Sweden with this one fastened to your wrist, but if there’s anything we know about Omega, it’s that they’re champions themselves in keeping huge sporting competitions in check. Funds might not get you out to the hosting nations of Mexico, the US, and Canada right now, but Tortoise Watches in London have one of these historic models waiting for you, for just GBP950. Shoot your shot.
We have a tendency to look backwards when it comes to the World Cup. Vintage tournament posters, iconic goals, legendary kits hold a place in football's collective memory – and our wardrobes. Yet there are plenty of contemporary watches capable of stirring up a little match-day patriotism of their own.Case in point is Fossil's revival of the Big Tic, a watch that embraces peak Y2K design codes. Instantly recognisable thanks to its playful analogue-digital display, it combines a traditionally arranged dial with a central digital screen.
Available in a range of flag-inspired colourways representing nations such as Germany, Argentina and England, the Big Tic allows supporters to wear their allegiances on their sleeve. Housed in a 40mm stainless steel case and paired with a comfortable silicone strap, it’s built with everyday wearability in mind, bringing the unabashed football spirit to the wrist.
Here lies a forgotten corner of football memorabilia: the Diego Maradona Mystery Dial, whose enigma goes far beyond the fact that time is revealed through rotating animations, rather than traditional hands. Maradona’s touch on the sport was supernatural in itself, but the real riddle to solve here is just who made this watch. The plotline is vague, but what we do know is that there’s listings of this new old stock watch, with a quartz powered movement, sitting at 39mm on the wrist, while bearing a print of the footballer’s signature between 3 and 6 o’clock.
Reportedly crafted in the 1980s, during Maradona’s reign at S.S.C Napoli in 1984, the glory years that followed echo in this playful expression of time. We likely won’t ever see a reissue of this watch, or solve the full story – but what we could see is history repeating itself again. After all, it was Maradona who lifted the trophy for the Argentinian national team in Mexico, back in 1986. Might we come full circle, 40 years later?
If there’s anyone you can count on to mock-up a commemorative model or two, it’s the Swiss provocateurs, regarded for all things plastic-fantastic: Swatch. Back in the ‘90s, when France hosted the World Cup in 1998, Swatch debuted a celebratory model, with the words ‘Goooal’ pitched across the strap. At 37.5mm, it displays a chronograph with three subdials printed onto themed graphics, including a date window at 4 o’clock.
The strap is where the real game takes place, with a decorated map of a football pitch, and single motifs of competing nations etched into the same hexagonal and pentagonal structure you’ll find on a football. Naturally, it’s a year we don’t tend to dwell on in the history of English football (although lest we forget Michael Owen’s goal against Argentina just before we were eliminated) but it’s sure enough a watch that deserves to be remembered.
Okay, we haven't simply mismatched our competitive leagues here, but Hublot's efforts to craft tribute watches for the sport remains undefeated. So much so that the Swiss namesakes runs the official slogan: Hublot Loves Football. And it shows, having maintained a steadfast commitment to the game for two decades, supporting leagues, teams and players at local, continental and global level. Sure, the Europa League and the World Cup are hardly the same beast, but the fighting spirit that fills both is identical, and so is the itch to mark the occasion on your wrist.
This Europa League edition is Hublot shouting proudly from the grandstands: only the third of its kind in a decade, limited to just 50 pieces worldwide, with a 42mm titanium case, black sunray dial, and the UEFA Europa League logo sitting neatly in the sub-dial at three o'clock. The bezel, assembled from carbon fibre inlaid with orange fiberglass, is entirely random in its construction, meaning each of the 50 is genuinely unique. It's not the World Cup watch. Nor is it a ticket to watch our Lions roar their way to victory either – but football is football, and it’ll certify you’re a fan through and through.
