2017 NBA Finals: The Watches of Steph Curry and LeBron James

We seem to be experiencing some deja vu. The 2016 NBA finals marked a rematch between two modern basketball powerhouses: the Golden State Warriors against Cleveland’s Cavaliers. 2017’s NBA Finals will see them go head to head for the third year in a row. And whether you’re talking Golden State’s solid line-up combined with Steph Curry’s controlled gameplay or LeBron James’ total dominance on the court, there’s no question: 2017’s finals should be almost as interesting as post-game watch-spotting.

LeBron James

Arguably one of the most recognized athletes in the world, LeBron James is both a powerful player and divisive personality. While he has an enviable watch collection that includes a gold AP Royal Oak and a Rolex Yacht-Master II, much like him, LeBron James’ watch of choice isn’t for everybody: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore.

As an Audemars Piguet ambassador, it’s not at all a surprise to see him wearing an AP watch off the court. In 2013, when LeBron James was still the darling of the Miami Heat, he partnered with the luxury watchmaker to design an exclusive version of the Royal Oak Offshore that he still sports today. The watch that bears his name is the reference 26210OI.OO.A109CR.01, officially titled the Audemars Piguet “Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James.”

To cover some of its specs, LeBron James intended for his watch to have a more “off-court” look that was relatively more subtle than flashy, breaking with traditional athlete/watch brand partnerships. This means the watch comes in a 44mm, 18-carat pink gold case with its signature “méga tapisserie” dial in grey. The Royal Oak Offshore’s iconic octagonal bezel is titanium, with black ceramic crown and chronograph pushers. The strap is grey alligator leather with an 18-carat pink gold pin buckle. As a self-winding chronograph, the dial has your typical chronograph layout with a small seconds sub-dial and a date display, albeit all laid out on an extremely luxurious timepiece.

LeBron James’ watch, originally released back in 2013 in a batch of only 600, retailed for $51,500.

Steph Curry

As a two-time MVP with worldwide appeal, Steph Curry has been riding on a wave of success, thanks to a frankly dominant Golden State team (and that shooting arm doesn’t hurt either). As he and the record-breaking Warriors look to clinch the NBA title for a second year in a row, even more people are paying attention to Curry: his game, his style, and for our purposes, his watch.

Steph Curry’s been photographed wearing a variety of watches, but the one that manages to stand out is his Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller.

The Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller, ref. 116660, is an even more extreme version of the Rolex Sea-Dweller, with water-resistance up to 12,800 feet deep and a helium escape valve that Rolex developed as a RingLock system. We’re unsure of how much diving Steph Curry is doing with his watch, but he probably likes it for its understated style more than its functionality.

As for the full specs on Steph Curry’s watch, the Rolex Deepsea is a 44mm steel Oyster model, with a self-winding Calibre 3135 movement. The bracelet is also a steel Oyster bracelet with Oysterlock clasp and divers’ extension. The highly legible dial is black, with long-lasting bioluminescent markers and hands, and is surrounded by Rolex’s patented Cerachrom bezel, also in black.

The Deepsea was first introduced in 2008 at a retail price of $12,050.

 

Regardless of who comes out victorious during the 2017 NBA Finals, now you have a more interesting topic of conversation: star players LeBron James and Steph Curry have seriously nice watches.

 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on June 9, 2016. We have updated it for relevancy.

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Images ©: Header, 4; Crown & Caliber. 1; Youtube. 2; Audemars Piguet. 3; Getty Images.