The Best Watches From the NBA Restart
The NBA restart is slowly falling into place. Over the course of this week, all 22 teams left in contention made their way to Orlando and slipped into The Bubble. That means that, along with snapshots of prepared meals and gaming equipment, the fit pics are back, with 100% more facemasks, and grail-level watch pairings. As NBA players file off the bus and into their respective Disney hotels this week, GQ spotted a super limited-edition Richard Mille, souped-up Royal Oak, and more than one iconic Rolex. The brick foyers of Disney hotels are a different sort of runway for players but it still feels good to be back: big NBA fits are the crack of thunder before the lightning of actual games.
Damian Lillard’s Rolex Datejust II
In 2009, Rolex tweaked one of its most classic models and introduced the Datejust II. The sequel kept up with modern trends towards considerably larger sizes: 41 millimeters compared to the original Datejust’s 36. The Rolex crown at the 12 o’clock position and the golden Roman numerals on Lillard’s model really have room to stretch out. But in 2016, the Datejust II went the way of New Coke and Rolex replacing the model with the Datejust 41 (a reference to the enlarged size).
Seth Curry’s Rolex GMT-Master II “Batman”
With big brother Steph out of contention, the younger Curry is tasked with taking up the mantle of never missing. He’s off to a good start here with the latest version of the Rolex GMT-Master II in the unmistakable blue-and-black “Batman” colorway. Released in 2019 on a Jubilee bracelet—rather than the traditional Oyster bracelet—the watch argues that it is possible to improve an icon. For the younger Curry, that’s probably an appealing idea.
Dennis Schröder’s Richard Mille RM 055 Bubba Watson Boutique Edition
Dennis Schröder may be the NBA’s most underrated and unconventional dripster. (His icy fur coat look is an all-timer.) Even when Schröder wears the enormously-popular-among-NBA-players Richard Mille, he goes his own distinct way. The RM 055 is designed for Bubba Watson and built to handle the intense shock and vibrations that result from the golfer’s swing. Traditionally it comes in pure white, but tradition isn’t in Schröder’s vocabulary: The Oklahoma City Thunder guard found a more limited edition of the watch in all grey that’s exclusive to Richard Mille boutiques. There are only 50 of these watches in the world.
Josh Hart’s Rolex Yacht-Master
Josh Hart entered the bubble with one thing on his mind: is the Wi-fi going to be good-enough WiFi for gaming? (So far, it appears the answer is negative, sergeant.) On his wrist was a Rolex Yacht-Master in gaudy rose gold. The watch is Rolex’s solution for avid sailors: jaunty enough to be worn aboard a yacht, with a rubber bracelet that can stand up to constant exposure to seawater. Rolex writes out it can survive “harsh conditions,” which is one way to describe living in a hotel room for months eating airplane food.
Marco Belinelli’s Gerard Charles Maestro
Marco Belinelli isn’t exactly the first name that comes to mind when you think of NBA style, but the Italian served up one spicy meatball of a fit: Tie-dye Nike socks, Travis Scott x Jordan Brand fleece shorts, and a really excellent and unique watch. The Gerard Charles Maestro doesn’t pop up nearly as much as it should. The piece is designed by luxury sports watch king Gérald Genta, who’s also responsible for both the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe’s Nautilus. The Maestro hits a similar note with its sleek black dial and more casual rubber band.
Ian Mahinmi's openworked Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
Somehow we made it this far without spotting the aforementioned Royal Oak. The most worn watch by celebrities in 2019 was bound to elbow its way into the restarted NBA season. One of the secrets to the Royal Oak’s ubiquity is that it comes in dozens of different flavors, including Ian Mahinmi’s model with an openworked dial. In its more classic form, the Royal Oak is a deceptively simple watch: all steel and thin without many bells and whistles crowding its austere face. By laying bare the machinery underneath, Mahinmi's skeleton version makes the case for the Royal Oak as a technical powerhouse in addition to a beautiful object of design.
Originally Appeared on GQ
