Jacob & Co Flight CR7
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FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

THM Desk
26 Nov 2022 |
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The FIFA World Cup is back and we can see the emotions rising among all the fans! With highly anticipated matches, last games for a few players, and picking favorites, time’s running out. But, did you know the timekeepers at FIFA ensure not a second is lost during the match? After all, time is precious.

1934 World Cup, Italy
1934 World Cup, Italy

The history of timekeeping and FIFA dates back to the first-ever World Cup held in 1934 in Italy.
Seiko was the official timekeeper for the period 1978-1990. After which, Casio was the official timekeeper in the year 2006. And now, for four consecutive world cups, Hublot has been announced as the official timekeeper.

World Cup, 1990 Official Timekeeper - Seiko | Casio Official Timekeeper, 2006 World Cup (Image Credits: Javy’s International)
World Cup, 1990 Official Timekeeper - Seiko | Casio Official Timekeeper, 2006 World Cup (Image Credits: Javy’s International)

Brands have hopped onto the bandwagon and also released several timepieces to keep up with the FIFA fever. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Italy’s victory, Wyler Vetta released a limited edition of 999 Football Chronographs equipped with a special version of the 7751 movements so that they can accurately clock the two halves of the game in 1994. Apart from this, brands like Hublot, Bulgari, Konstantin Chaykin and Jacob & Co. have also come out with pieces commemorating the FIFA World Cup 2022. Let’s get into the details.

Limited-edition football chronograph by Wyler Vetta, 1994
Limited-edition football chronograph by Wyler Vetta, 1994

Hublot Gen 3 Big Bang E

For the fourth time in a row, Hublot has been named the Official Timekeeper of the FIFA World Cup. During FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, Hublot will keep time for all 64 games, including the championship game on December 18 at Lusail Stadium in Doha. Hublot unveils the next generation of its connected watch just as excitement builds for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever
The innovative "timeline" function of the Gen 3 Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM linked watch will immerse fans of the world's largest football event in the action from the very beginning. More than a billion people will be watching the FIFA World CupTM tournament in Qatar in 2022, making it the most-watched sporting event in the world. All 129 official referees will have the brand-new Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM on their wrists to keep track of the game's clock.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

With a larger and better high-definition display, the newly designed football app will catch every thrilling minute of the game. Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM will be in countdown mode leading up to the first game on November 20 between Qatar and Ecuador. Then, 15 minutes prior to each match, the watch will send the wearer team lineups and player profiles, allowing them to immerse themselves in the action without taking their eyes off their wrist.

As soon as the ball is kicked off, the watch will enter "match mode" and activate "timeline," a function designed just for this watch that will allow users to record the game's most exciting and significant moments.

Bulgari Gérald Genta Arena Bi-Retrograde

One of Walt Disney's most iconic characters is featured once again, this time holding a soccer ball in honor of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup. As a follow-up to the "Smiling Mickey" timepiece it released in 2021, Bulgari has teamed up with Gérald Genta to once again put Mickey Mouse in the spotlight of the watch industry. The likeable figure is now located at the center of the dial, with a soccer ball over his head at the half-hour mark. There are three unusual complications in this timepiece: a retrograde date, retrograde minutes, and a leaping hour. It has a self-winding manufacture calibre BVL300 movement with a 42-hour power reserve.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever
The mother-of-pearl dial is a testament to skilled workmanship, as it was made using a pad printing technique that required 14 clichés (plates) to generate the design's color pattern. The design is then covered in places with a translucent lacquer to make certain parts stand out more and provide depth and dimension. There are almost 20 different steps involved in animating Mickey Mouse by hand.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

Konstantin Chaykin Joker Soccer

Both football and mechanical timepieces have expanded beyond their original functions to become cultural icons. The 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in Russia, and to celebrate, inventor and watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin of Russia fused these two worlds together with the jovial but often cynical Joker moon smile to produce a limited edition collectible watch. Joker Soccer really loves the game. Its spherical moving eye-pointers, reminiscent of a soccer ball, and the Moon in the lunar phase indicator, which began to resemble a sphere, are clear reflections of the shape of the ball.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever
FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

Jokers in football are powerful players, typically attackers, who remain on the bench for the majority of the game before coming off the bench in the final twenty to thirty minutes. He's enthusiastic, well-versed, and brings a new perspective to the table. The Joker, like the prototype of his card, might appear out of nowhere and completely alter the game's trajectory. The "ristmons" in Konstantin Chaykin's collection demanded that he get his own wristwatch.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

Jacob & Co Flight CR7

CR7!! Can we already hear the fans screaming? Cristiano Ronaldo, a superstar in the sport of football (soccer), has taken his brand, CR7, and the luxury jewelry and watchmaking company Jacob & Co. to a new level. Celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo's accomplishment, their names appear together on a watch collection after 20 years of friendship and patronage. The Portugal national team captain has become the first footballer to have a premium brand bearing his name.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

The Epic X has been given a high degree of customization by the Jacob & Co x CR7 collection. The X-shaped lugs on the 44 mm case, the polished or diamond-set bezel, and the contrasting colored crown and flange are all telltale signs. One of the most recognizable calibers manufactured by Jacob & Co drives it. This skeletal routine has an eye-catching structure. The term "Epic X" comes from the X shape formed by its design, which is launched by the lugs and supported by two vertical pillars.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever

These two pillars are meant to symbolize Cristiano Ronaldo and the CR7 brand in the Jacob & Co x CR7 Epic X collection. Christian Ronaldo is depicted in various poses on the left pillar, while his logo, CR7, and his signature are prominently displayed on the right. The football-shaped skeleton cover for the barrel. The caseback is a gold-printed portrait of Cristiano Ronaldo in his famous, lucky number 7 shirt.

FIFA World Cup 2022: Timekeepers On Duty To Keep Up With The Football Fever
It’s time!! Which team are you rooting for? Are you ready to watch the action on the field?