Lionel Messi and His Latest Watches

It has been a year since football legend Lionel Messi transferred to Paris Saint-Germain from FC Barcelona, leaving his professional home of 17 seasons. While his move wasn’t without struggles, Leo still found himself in a familiar place this year – at the top of Forbes’ highest-earning athletes list.

We’ve covered Leo’s watch collection before, and he’s made some important new acquisitions since then. Check out Lionel Messi’s latest watches.

Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi 126710 BLRO

The Oystersteel Rolex GMT-Master II Pepsi made its comeback in 2018 after a decade-long hiatus. This marked the first time that a steel Rolex “Pepsi” came equipped with a Cerachrom bezel, in addition to the new-generation Caliber 3285 movement. Beyond the Pepsi bezel, this new Rolex GMT-Master II offered another surprise: a steel Jubilee bracelet last seen in the GMT-Master line decades back.

In 2021, Rolex announced that the GMT-Master II 126710 BLRO Pepsi would also be available with a three-link Oyster bracelet. We see Lionel wear this sportier edition with a black ensemble. Photo from Lionel Messi on Instagram

Rolex Submariner 116659 SABR

Leo usually sticks to classic editions of iconic sports watches, but for his Submariner, he made an exception. He owns an off-catalog ref. 116659 SABR in a white gold finish. The initials “SABR” in the model number translate to “SAphirs” and “BRillants” in French, indicating that this watch is covered in precious gems.

Particularly, the ref. 116659 SABR has a unidirectional rotating bezel with 36 sapphires and 12 diamonds. Rolex cleverly chose lighter sapphires for the first nine stones, followed by darker ones, to mimic the hash marks on conventional Submariner bezels. The 10-minute intervals and 0 marker on the bezel are also indicated by diamonds, while the sunburst blue dial with lume-filled hour markers balances out the lavish design. Photos from Phillips and Antonela Roccuzzo on Instagram

In addition to his stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus, Leo got himself two stunning rose gold models – the Chronograph Date and Flyback Chronograph Date.

The Chronograph edition, which many considered to be the “perfect” watch, features a black gradient dial with gold applied and lume-filled hour markers. The chronograph complication consists of a 60-minute and 12-hour mono-counter, while the self-winding Caliber CH 28-520 C/522 at its heart offers a 55-hour power reserve.

Meanwhile, the Flyback Chronograph Date adds the flyback function, which allows the wearer to restart the timer while the chronograph is running. This watch comes with a gradient brown dial, and while the watch is originally worn on an alligator leather band, Leo swapped that out for a sportier green rubber aftermarket strap. Photos from Lionel Messi on Instagram