It might sound unlikely, but while there are plenty of jaw-dropping timepieces you can spot in the world of professional tennis, one person has consistently showcased incredible watches arguably better than anyone else: Mirka Federer.
The former Swiss professional tennis player and wife of everyone’s favourite GOAT proudly owns one of the most impressive Rolex collections you’ll ever lay eyes on; which is how the Federer clan brought the heat to Wimbledon ’23 after old Roger’s retirement from competition.
And sure. Your chances at securing special allocations certainly aren’t hurt when you’re a) Swiss, and b) married to one of the greatest Rolex ambassadors of all time. But as we all know, money and access alone doesn’t buy taste, and it’s clear Mirka knows exactly what she’s doing.
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With a particular soft spot for precious metals and rare gemstones, there isn’t a single Rolex she’s worn courtside that could be considered basic.
While real estate agents and insurance broker types clamour to show you their latest stainless steel sports watch, Mirka’s collection of timepieces is as elevated as it is considered. The only trouble she likely faces is deciding which watch to wear from this world-class collection.
Let’s take a closer look at the most notable watches of Mirka Federer — from the DayDate she wore during last year’s appearance in the stands alongside Roger (and Catherine, Princess of Wales) to all the greatest hits.
Rolex DayDate ref. 228396TEM In Platinum With Diamonds & Emeralds
The average Rolex fan-boy doesn’t know this, but there are a collection of watches produced by the Big Crown so rare, expensive, and difficult to buy that they aren’t even listed on the brand’s website. This ref. 228396TEM is one of them, hewn from solid platinum and featuring a pave diamond dial with diamond and emerald baguette-cut hour markers plus an emerald bezel. Understood to have an original RRP of €430,000, the same reference was sold by the team at The Keystone for US$575,000 (AU$860,000).
Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” ref. 116599RBOW In White Gold With Sapphires & Diamonds
Mirka clearly loves the Daytona almost as much as she loves Rolex watches that aren’t on brand’s website and this “Rainbow” ticks both boxes. With a perfectly gradiated ring of sapphire baguette stones forming the bezel and diamonds set into the lugs, crownguards, and hour markers, there’s an undeniable magic to this watch. The original RRP was around US$100,000, but if you’re after one today, you can expect to pay something around the US$449,950 (AU$675,000) price WatchBox has this example listed for.
Rolex Daytona “Rainbow” ref. 116599RBOW In White Gold With Sapphires & Diamonds
While Mirka owns the “Rainbow” Daytona with the black and diamond-set dial, she also owns the version with gradiated sapphire hour markers and full pave diamond-set dial — just ‘cuz. It’s such a rare watch I can’t even find an image of it online in white gold — only in rose gold — but a ballpark price for such a watch on the preowned market is US$600,000 (AU$900,000).
Rolex DateJust “Zebra” ref. 116199SANR In White Gold With Diamonds & Black Sapphires
Taking a brief break from Daytonas, we arrive to the matter of this dark horse (quite literally) within the Rolex DateJust catalogue nicknamed the “Zebra.” Obviously, this is due to the stripes on the dial created with diamonds and black lacquer, which are further emphasised by the unusual diamond-set shagreen (stingray) leather strap. Originally released around 2006, we’re unsure of it’s RRP. Expect to pay around $70,000 for an example today.
Rolex Daytona ref. 1165994RU In White Gold With Diamonds & Rubies
Returning to Daytona-land. This is another timepiece so rare I haven’t been able to source an exact image of it. It’s a diamond and ruby-set chronograph from around 2015. While Mirka owns an example with an entirely baguette-cut diamond-set bezel — which actually looks cleaner than its sibling with rubies at the cardinal points — this similar example sold at auction via Monaco Legends Group a few months ago for €188,500 (AU$307,000).
Rolex DayDate ref. 218235 In Rose Gold With Diamonds & Rubies
While it’d be one thing to simply select the Rolex in precious metal and call it a day, the common thread connecting many of Mirka’s watches are the presence of diamonds and gemstones. This rose gold DayDate ref. 218235 is no exception, boasting a stark black dial that pops thanks to baguette-cut diamond and ruby hour markers. Less rare than many of the other watches in her collection, expect to pay around US$45,000 (AU$67,000) for a similar example.
Rolex Daytona ref. 116506 In Platinum
Perhaps the most plain-jane of the watches we’ve spotted on the wrist of Mirka Federer — though no less special — is this platinum Daytona. No diamond hour markers to be seen here, just 280 grams of wrist presence, a chocolaty brown bezel, as well as one of the best blue dials in the game. While the platinum Daytona recently underwent an evolution with the launch of a new reference at Watches & Wonders 2023, this original version will cost you around $150,000 today.
