Game, Set and Match

The worlds of horology and sport are intrinsically linked through the importance of timekeeping. When a whole stadium is counting down the dying seconds of a championship final, timekeeping must be flawless, and having the name of a reliable watch brand emblazoned beneath the clock is certainly going to reassure fans.

This is certain to be the case at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which kicks off in November. Hublot has had a relationship with football since 2006, working with FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, and UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, on all major football events. The Swiss watch giant has also released a limited edition of its Big Bang E smart watch to celebrate this year’s competition.

Four years ago, France lifted the famous World Cup trophy in Russia, with 1.1 billion people tuning in live to watch the final. Audience viewing figures are likely to rise still further as the popularity of the beautiful game continues to grow – but which country’s fans will be watching the clock count down the seconds to victory at the 2022 final in Doha on 18 December?

There are many other sports that rely on precision timekeeping. Longines took centre stage earlier this summer when Birmingham played host to the Commonwealth Games – an 11-day event that featured over 5,000 athletes representing 72 nations and territories, competing across 19 different sports.

The most inclusive international multi- sport event ever held, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games schedule had everything from women’s cricket to paracycling. Timing was crucial to every event, especially as 15 Commonwealth records were broken in athletics alone – including in the women’s 10,000m, where Eilish McColgan stormed to victory for Scotland in a record time of 30:48.60. And, to mark the 22nd Games, Longines added to its famed Hydroconquest line, launching a model adorned with the striking tones of the event logo.

Often, the venue is as famous as the competition it hosts, as is the case with Lord's, which has been on the same site in London since 1814. Oris is the Official Timekeeper of the 'Home of Cricket', so the brand will be at the centre of the action when Australia visit Lord's next summer during the Ashes series.

The brand are also giving a watch to any player who earns a spot on the Lord's Honours Boards, the first recipient being ex-England captain Joe Root, who was presented with a new piece of Oris wristwear after scoring a match¬ winning century against New Zealand earlier this year.

Discover Hublot, Longines and Oris in our showrooms and online at Mappin and Webb.