The Watches of Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy was destined to be a star. Having been born and raised in North Ireland, an  adolescent Rory appeared on “The Kelly Show” at the tender age of 9 – confidently chipping golf balls into an open washing machine in front of a live studio audience. As it will become immediately apparent, this profile is going to be rather Omega-dominant given the relationship between the golf phenomenon and his official sponsor. This should not, however, detract from the very interesting watch choices made by Rory over his long and illustrious career as they are anything but predictable.

Omega Speedmaster "Rory McIlroy" Special Edition Watch in Yellow Gold

Kicking things off with a rather obvious choice, the Speedmaster ‘57 Rory McIlroy was a gift from Omega to the golf phenom to commemorate his 30th birthday back in July 2019. Predictably, this set the internet ablaze with both PGA and watch fans (perhaps not mutually exclusive) clamouring for a release date so that the general public could get their hands on the special edition.  Although this tease may have a carefully crafted strategy all along, the celebratory model was well received – particularly for its cohesive pairing of a solid 18K yellow gold case with vintage-inspired subdials and black outer ring.  Shine the watch under UV light and the numbers “16” and “61” will be revealed as if by magic, paying tribute to the incredible feat of setting a course record of 61 strokes at the Royal Portrush Golf Club at the young age of 16.

Coming in at a very wearable 41.5mm case size, the limited run has long since sold out but was available for purchase for US$34,600 at the time of release.  It also featured the proprietary Omega Co-Axial calibre 9301 as well as an exhibition caseback for lucky owners to admire the beautiful inner workings of the movement.

Omega DeVille Tourbillon

This next watch garnered a good deal of attention via Instagram from a Hodinkee “Talking Watches” alumnus, ESPN SportsCenter Anchor Gary Striewski. During his coverage of a Formula 1 race in October 2023, the Kimchi Papi was strolling around the paddock casually watch-spotting when he chanced upon Rory sporting a rare Omega DeVille Tourbillon, which purportedly retails for an eye-watering US$137,000. As explained in the clip, Rory purchased this stunner as a gift to himself after winning his second FedEx Cup in 2019 and, given how frequently it finds itself on his wrist, decided to change his platinum wedding band to a black and red gold variant to match his new daily beater.

Although watches like this stunning Tourbillon tend to lean towards the more formal end of the spectrum, hats off to McIlroy for not letting it sit in the back of the safe and for giving it the shine that it deserves.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra “Ultra Light”

For all the incredible timepieces worn off the golf course, Rory is an athlete at the end of the day and performance on the green is paramount. This is where the Aqua Terra “Ultra Light” comes in – designed and developed in conjunction with the golfer himself and making its debut in 2019 in extremely limited quantities. The final product was much more than a vanity project, and took a dedicated team more than two years to come to fruition with the valuable aid of McIlroy. Rory was quoted by the press: “I can feel a one- or a two-gram difference in a golf club or a golf shaft when I swing it”, so naturally the R&D process began with finding the right material for the case which ended up being a very special blend of aluminium and titanium known as Gamma Titanium, an extra light and hard metal ordinarily reserved for aeronautical use. The movement is no slouch either and is also entirely fashioned from the same high tech alloy, reducing the total weight of the watch to just a mere 55 grams.  Most importantly, the time-only wristwatch is able to withstand the shockwaves that are produced by powerful golf swings which would normally ruin the mechanism of any other watch.

The Aqua Terra “Ultra Light” is less of a watch and more of a high-end piece of professional equipment, and with this comes a staggering cost of US$48,600 which sits towards the upper end of the Omega pricing matrix.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Chronometer in Green

Even though Rory McIlroy is an ambassador for Omega, it’s evident that he has favourites amongst his own catalogue. The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Chronometer in Green sees a lot of wrist time, particularly on podiums whilst collecting trophies – once for his win at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open then again for his triumph at the CJ Cup later that year. It’s not hard to see why this reference features prominently in his rotation given the handsome green ceramic dial, bezel and rubber strap coupled with the versatility of the Seamaster range. The robust Calibre 8800 housed within the steel case is capable of 55 hours of power reserve, and will continue to function without a hitch should it find itself near a water hazard.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M CO-AXIAL Master Chronometer

Another well-worn favourite of the Irish golfer is a chronograph variant from the Seamaster line-up. The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M is a decidedly dressier cousin of the aforementioned Diver 300, but is built to the same exacting standards that make it a dependable workhorse. The 18K red gold case comes in at a sizable 45.5mm which is also surprisingly corrosion resistant, although the OEM black alligator strap may not fare as well after a few dips into the pond.  Like his other Seamaster, Rory was first spotted wearing the watch at the ceremony for his 19th PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo Championship in 2021, with the watch resurfacing 2 years later alongside another trophy in 2023.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph

Before McIlroy was a close friend of Omega, young Rory was sponsored by none other than Audemars Piguet – before ultimately leaving in 2013.  In a grainy photo dating back to 2011, a fresh-faced Rory can be seen knocking back a celebratory drink out of a trophy whilst donning a shiny Royal Oak Chronograph Ref. 26300.  Although not apparent from the low-resolution photo, this stainless steel chronograph came in at a very palatable case size of 39mm and boasted a familiar high contrast ‘Panda’-esque dial configuration which rendered this specific reference supremely versatile. The splashes of red on the chronograph seconds hand and tips of the subdial hands serve as visual interest on an otherwise conservative watch, relatively speaking.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix Chronograph

In the following year, Rory had on his wrist a behemoth 44mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Grand Prix Chronograph which featured an anodized aluminium dial, a forged carbon bezel and an 18K pink gold case. During an era when McIlroy preferred to sport flowing brunette locks, the demand back then was for larger timepieces and none more than the famed Offshore range captured this prevailing aesthetic better. This particular reference 26290RO.OO.A001VE.01 was part of a limited run of 650 pieces, and the design language was strongly influenced by the automotive industry - with the screw down crown resembling the wheel of a sports car. Subtle this watch was not, especially compared to those worn in recent years by a more matured Rory - but it sure looked like he had a lot of fun wearing it.