Boxing Day may not be about boxing, but the sport’s biggest stars know how to steal the spotlight. Here are the standout watches worn by boxing icons who live life just as boldly outside the ring.
Before you say that the sport of boxing has no relevance to the Boxing Day holiday, you’d be right. But that doesn’t mean the connection ends there. Despite the name, Boxing Day has no direct link to the sport of boxing. The term dates back to 19th-century Britain, where December 26 was traditionally the day employers gave “Christmas boxes”, small gifts or money, to tradespeople and servants as a gesture of goodwill.
Over time, Boxing Day evolved into a major public holiday across countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The day also became closely linked with sporting events. While in Australia, the Boxing Day Test takes centre stage, we turn our attention to boxing, looking at the watches worn by some of the sport’s biggest names.
From pre-fight press conferences to post-victory celebrations, elite fighters often mark career-defining moments with timepieces that are just as bold as their achievements. And bold they certainly are, with some of the most incredible and outrageous watches featured in the list below. These timepieces aren’t chosen at random; some reflect status and success, while others embody a mindset built on discipline, power, and precision.
Anthony Joshua
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Camo’ edition
A watch that fits Anthony Joshua’s lifestyle perfectly is the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “Camo” edition. Released during SIHH 2018, Audemars Piguet introduced this Royal Oak Offshore with a strong focus on ceramic materials. It marked the first time the brand used a khaki-coloured ceramic bezel, which suits the camouflage aesthetic perfectly.
The beige-toned dial features the iconic Tapisserie pattern, paired with brown sub-counters that add contrast while reinforcing the camo-inspired look. While Joshua undoubtedly owns more expensive and outlandish timepieces, this Royal Oak Offshore feels especially fitting for his personality, doubling as a bold yet wearable watch for everyday use.
Australian Aftermarket Price: A$46,000
Canelo Alvarez
Jacob & Co. ‘The Opera Godfather’
One of Canelo Álvarez’s more recent watch purchases is the Jacob & Co. Opera Godfather edition in 18k rose gold. He was seen wearing the timepiece ahead of his fight with Terence Crawford in Las Vegas in early September 2025. Jacob & Co. entered into a partnership with Paramount Pictures, granting the brand the rights to The Godfather franchise.
The Opera Godfather is one of the very few timepieces in the world to feature a fully mechanical music box movement. At the push of a button, it plays the iconic theme from The Godfather using a traditional 18-note comb and rotating cylinder, inspired by historic musical automata. Fitting such an intricate music box, complete with its own mechanical architecture, into a wearable wristwatch was no small feat, with Jacob & Co. reportedly taking close to three years to develop the final design.
International Aftermarket Price: US$500,000
Availability: For more information, please head to JacobandCo.com
Connor McGregor
Patek Philippe Complications Annual Calendar Chronograph ‘Weir & Sons’ Limited Edition
As we’ve seen, Conor McGregor is no stranger to flaunting his wealth, with his watch collection frequently appearing in celebrity watch-spotting pieces. Arguably, one of the most expensive watches in his collection is the Patek Philippe Complications Annual Calendar Chronograph “Weir & Sons” Limited Edition.
This timepiece was created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Weir & Sons, one of Ireland’s most historic jewellers. It features a 42mm platinum case paired with a striking green sunburst dial, a clear nod to Irish heritage, along with Patek Philippe’s signature complications of an annual calendar and flyback chronograph. With McGregor’s Irish roots, this timepiece feels like the perfect match.
International Aftermarket Price: US$1,100,000
Floyd Mayweather
Jacob & Co. The Billionaire III Watch
One of the most expensive watches in this celebrity watch-spotting list sits on the wrist of Floyd Mayweather. Much like Conor McGregor, Mayweather is known for flaunting his wealth, from high jewellery necklaces and bracelets to the extravagant timepieces he wears. This watch, however, sits far above the rest.
Named the Jacob & Co. Billionaire III, the timepiece lives up to its title. As founder Jacob Arabo puts it, “Billionaire is born from a profound love for diamonds”, something this watch has in abundance. The Billionaire III boasts a diamond carat weight of around 129 carats, with hundreds of emerald-cut white diamonds covering the case, bracelet, and even the movement bridges. The result is an unmistakable sparkle designed to be admired from every angle and from a distance!
International Aftermarket Price: US$3,300,000
Availability: For more information, please head to Jacobandco.com
George Kambosos Jr.
Bust Down Cartier Santos de Cartier Large
A Greek-Australian, the young George Kambosos Jr. is one of our most beloved pugilists of the modern era. With a family lineage hailing from none other than Sparta, it seems the Ferocious One was always destined to meet the squared circle. Given his success, which includes a unified lightweight championship, the Ring magazine title and the IBO lightweight championship, it’s fair to say he’s earned the right to treat himself a little.
That notion becomes much clearer when you take a closer look at his choice of wristwear. Kambosos Jr. has often been spotted wearing a heavily modified version of the Cartier Santos de Cartier Large. Completely covered in diamonds, this type of customisation is commonly known as a ‘bust down’. While some frown upon the practice for its effect on overall watch value, all George has to do is flick his wrist, and the shine of the diamonds does the rest.
Australian Aftermarket Estimate: A$16,000/A$17,000 (Chrono24)
Manny Pacquiao
Rolex GMT-Master II ‘SARU’
While Australia is where Mario was born, he said it would be a disservice to his second home country if we didn’t include the Pac-Man himself. A boxing icon, a Filipino hero, a former senator, and, depending on who you ask, the only man to have ever beaten Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao is undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever step into the ring. Uniquely talented and wickedly fast, he remains the only boxer to have won world titles across eight different weight divisions, achieving that feat across four decades.
Although the thrill of the fight still calls him from time to time, Pacquiao can now be found enjoying the fruits of his labour. Rightfully so, given he grew up in abject poverty. Here, he wears a unique Rolex GMT-Master II, Ref. M126755SARU-0001, or ‘SARU’ for short. Unlike his protégé George Kambosos Jr.’s bust-down Cartier, the SARU is what’s known as a factory-set watch. This means the sapphires, rubies and diamonds are all set by the brand itself, rather than an aftermarket jeweller, adding to both its rarity and, of course, its price.
Australian Aftermarket Estimate: A$200,000/A$300,000 (Chrono24)
Terence Crawford
Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Marquetry
Walking away from boxing for good this year is Terence ‘T-Bud’ Crawford. At age 38, he has made the decision to finally retire from the sport, a smart call considering he is widely regarded as the best active boxer in the world. The second undefeated fighter on this list, Crawford, is one of only six men to have won world titles across five divisions, with victories over the likes of Errol Spence Jr., Amir Khan and, most recently, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
But it isn’t just his fighting style that’s smart; his taste in watches is too. He has often been photographed wearing a Ulysse Nardin Blast Free Wheel Marquetry, of all things. Not that it’s a bad watch, far from it, but it’s not one you typically see boxers or professional fighters gravitate towards. In that context, it’s a genuinely unique timepiece, with a marquetry dial constructed from blue-toned silicon, reflecting T-Bud’s enthusiasm for the more obscure corners of horology. Maybe an MB&F should be next…
International RRP: CHF 133,800
Availability: By inquiry only. See Ulysse-Nardin.com for more information.
Oleksandr Usyk
Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’ & Jacob & Co. Astronomia Art ‘Ring of Fire’
Topping off our Boxing Day list is yet another of the greatest boxers of the modern era. Oleksandr ‘The Cat’ Usyk, a Ukrainian fighter, is soft-spoken by nature, but his boxing is anything but. He holds the distinction of being the only man to unify championships across two different weight classes and also boasts an Olympic gold medal from London 2012, the same Games as Anthony Joshua, whom he has beaten twice, alongside victories over Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois.
Given that he has beaten so many incredible boxers twice in a row, it makes sense that Usyk has decided to double up on his wristwear. On the left (his right wrist), a classic Rolex GMT-Master II M126710BLRO-0001 ‘Pepsi’ can be seen. On the right (his left wrist), however, is the real talking point: a custom Jacob & Co. Astronomia Art nicknamed ‘Ring of Fire’. Commemorating the first fight between Fury and Usyk, the remarkable piece depicts the WBC Championship belt, as well as the boxers themselves. Only four were ever made, two of which belong to the bitter rivals, so good luck spotting one in the wild.