The Football World Cup - Kick-off for the top watch brands

After four years, the time has finally come again and the FIFA World Cup is starting a new round. Since June 14th, the 21st edition of the tournament has been battling for the coveted trophy. Whether Germany can actually defend its title remains questionable. This time the whole spectacle is taking place in Russia, where the national team will do everything in its power to win the fifth star. The decision on the host city was hotly debated and criticized in advance. But let's focus on the really important things beyond the political debates – which watch brands and special models will we be presented with off the field, and what's hot this year when it comes to beautiful wrists? Below, we present the highlights that play a decisive role in the World Cup and take a closer look at the season's trends.

All Eyes on Putin: Russia's President is a real watch fan

Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin will, of course, also be attending the international event of the year in Russia. But did you know that the controversial politician is a true watch lover? A few years ago, he triggered an extraordinary fashion trend when he wore his timepiece on his right arm instead of his left. In doing so, he made a clear statement: "Wear your jewelry individually, as you like!" But the move certainly didn't come about on a whim. Since Putin has been in the public eye for a long time, he is certainly fully aware of the attention he receives. With such small stylistic quirks, the 66-year-old always surprises his fans and offers curious glances something new. At the same time, he skillfully puts his luxury accessories even more in the spotlight, thus garnering envy and admiration for his special pieces, as well as his extremely high wealth, which they suggest. Putin is considered the leader of the Russian elite when it comes to luxury watches . The total value of his personal collection is now estimated at over half a million euros. Considering his official annual salary of "only" 150,000 euros, this is a not insignificant sum, which has already caused some opposition members to be astonished. How rich the Russian president actually is, however, is unknown. His total assets are estimated at between 40 and 70 billion US dollars. In 2012, a 33-page report was compiled on his alleged wealth, which also included a list of the eleven(!) luxury watches he already owned at the time. Given Putin's financial situation, it is hardly surprising that his watch collection has now reached a considerable size and includes, among other things, a Turbograph by A. Lange & Söhne , a Blancpain Aqua Lung Grande Date and a Patek PhilippePerpetual Calendar . These are each valued at between 25,000 and 80,000 euros. Jealous?

However, compared to other politicians' collections, Putin's appears relatively classic, and perhaps even boring to some watch lovers. However, no one would complain about a gift that suits his taste – Putin is known for delighting his loyal friends with an elegant watch. Given his penchant for classic, high-quality timepieces that never go out of style, this is guaranteed to be a hit with the recipient. So, Vladimir Putin plays it safe when it comes to choosing watches, scoring points with his sense of style while also knowing how to showcase his classics.

Hummels wears Heuer this year

Central defender Mats Hummels has been a brand ambassador for TAG Heuer for a few years now. It's no surprise that the Swiss luxury brand is backing the footballer - the company is the first official timekeeper and the first official watch of the Premier League, as well as the US national team and Major League Soccer. And that's fitting, because in this popular ball sport, precision, robustness and finesse are extremely important. Things that TAG Heuer also attaches great importance to in its timepieces. The look of some of the brand's models is therefore also inspired by football, for example the Connected Modular . It's no wonder then that Mats likes to be seen with a TAG Heuer on his arm, because the luxurious accessory skilfully reflects his great passion for the sport.

The innovation of the year: Swiss luxury smartwatch on the rise

For the 2016 European Championship, IWC Schaffhausen secured the wrists of Jogi Löw and the rest of the coaching staff to properly present their latest models to the world. Not a bad decision, given the enormous reach of the sporting event.

This year, the traditional Swiss company Hublot thought the same thing and became an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup. The product developers were inspired to create a very special watch for the competition: the "Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" smartwatch, which is limited to just 2,018 pieces. At around $5,200, it's no bargain, but for a Hublot model, it's certainly affordable and well worth the money. This watch has a lot to offer!

Instead of a dial, the Big Bang Referee features an AMOLED display with a resolution of 400 x 400 pixels for ideal reading. The watch comes with Google's Wear OS operating system and the particularly powerful Intel Atom Z34XX processor. It's not without reason that TAG Heuer used this very processor in a smartwatch back in 2017, as the chip series was originally developed for smartphones and tablets. Bluetooth 4.1 and a Wi-Fi chip are also integrated. The battery is also said to last a full day with average use. This smartwatch is a true powerhouse!

But the official watch of the 2018 World Cup naturally has even more to offer. In keeping with the event, Hublot has given the Big Bang Referee software flag designs. The straps can also be purchased in the corresponding national colors to give the smartwatch the perfect World Cup design, completely customized to suit the favorite team. The watch also offers some cool extra functions, including a countdown to the match and goal notifications. Incidentally, Hublot has equipped all World Cup referees with a very special version of the Big Bang Referee: this version connects to the goal detection systems in the stadiums and notifies the "referees" in good time of every goal scored. According to Hublot, the feature was already thoroughly tested during last year's Confederations Cup. The Big Bang Referee can be purchased exclusively in Hublot stores; the official launch of the sensational World Cup smartwatch was already scheduled for May 1st.

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