Watch for Blake's watch

It seems an odd accessory to wear in a 200-metre dash. Almost-fastest man in the world Yohan Blake has started sporting a custom-made $500,000 Richard Mille watch in his sprint heats.

The large and distinctive yellow and green timepiece has shown up in photographs Tuesday and Wednesday of Blake, providing lucrative exposure for the celebrity watchmaker.

And that, says the Hollywood Reporter, has caught the eye of the International Olympic Committee brand police. Omega is the official sponsor of the Games, so Blake could be in trouble for flashing a different brand.

Richard Mille, which famously gave tennis star Rafael Nadal a watch stolen from him, introduced the new Topurbillon watch a few days ago with a coy reference to its new high-profile pitchman, the industry newsletter WatchPro reported. Then Blake started streaking down the track with his own timekeeper strapped to his wrist.

The IOC's vigilance in protecting its sponsors has forced U.S. runner Nick Symmonds to cover a sponsor's tattoo and Chinese archery bronze medallist Dai Xiaoxiang to tape over the "Chicago Bears" insignia on his hat.

Blake and rival Usain Bolt compete today at 3:55 p.m. Eastern time in the men's 200-metre final. Keep your eyes on Blake's wrist.

AP/Yohan  Blake in the men's 200-meter semifinals on Aug. 8, 2012.

 

Comments

[anggrek]

it's pathetic that any human being needs a $500,000 watch when there are others in this world that barely survive on $1 a day.

gaining wealth is one thing, but with it comes responsibility. blake would do so much better with his money than accumulating shiny objects.

[Whybother]

Seriously...$500k for a watch? Unless this watch can transport me to a different country i would not spend that much on a watch. Celebrities are so naive and can easily spend on worthlessness.

[Canadian George]

It used to be in the olden days that only amateurs were permitted to compete in the Olympics.....sadly today that has changed when a quick running Jamaican's watch alone is worth more than most people's houses in the USA.

Gotta wonder how he PAID for it?

[michael R.]

Why would you run with a watch on anyways? What a putz.
The IOC need to penalize the runner and the nation for brand infractions.

[talkic for social good]

Could have been presumptuous and a PR disaster if the watch was made of gold.

[GeorgeTH]

Who ever pays 500k for a watch is crazy.

[M. Thompson]

Can these games get any lower???? They have been the epitome of the worse shows of behaviour, and now capricious displays of wealth, unsportsmanlike actions, lying, and more. I have totally NO further interest in hearing, seeing, reading about anything 'Olympic' going forward. My vote is: Make 2012 the LAST Olympics....they have degenerated into the exact opposite of what they were created for. Please...NO MORE Olympics!!!!!!!!

[Fastnbulbous]

Are you peoplle stupid? He didn't pay for that watch. Mille obviously gave it to him to promote it. If he gets just one order from the exposure, he's doing well, as it clearly doesn't cost a half mil to make.

[damion]

I don't think he paid for it, they gave it to him to wear for advertising, lol

[Marcus]

For the people who ignorantly believe that Yohan bought the watch with his own money, it was given to him by the maker of the watch, so he can advertise it for them, and secondly, its his business if he bought it with his own money, he deserves what ever toys he wish.

[Kyle T]

Lots of potentially ignorant comments here.

Acting like he paid 500k for the watch and thus it's irresponsible: it's highly unlikely that he paid that much, if anything, for the watch. It's probably a sponsorship gig. And furthermore, MANY sports stars own things greater in value than a half million dollar watch, so you'd best be angry at a lot of them.

On amateurism: The "amateur era" of the olympics was NOT a good thing; acting otherwise is naive or ignorant. Under rules of amateurism, athletes are expressly forbidden from making a living while doing what is essentially their job. They are forced to make decisions between following the rules, playing their sport, or putting food on the table (pick two). We are far better off that era is over. Nonetheless, the archaic sponsorship and branding rules of the olympics are still hurting athletes' ability to make a living, while lining the pockets of the IOC and other various bureaucrats.

On "no more olympics": What, exactly, has been so terrible about these olympics in particular? They appear to be no worse than any other games, and as far as your so-called "capricious displays of wealth, unsportsmanlike actions, lying, and more," they seem to be significantly better than any national league sports in developed countries. There is no reason for your extreme dissatisfaction, except the job that people apparently get from complaining about things. Don't like the games, don't watch the games, seems simpler than asking to shut the whole thing down.

In the end, the guy is wearing an expensive watch. Who cares. Federer (and about a hundred other big names in sports) wear/use expensive things on billboards all around the world for purposes of advertising. Just as importantly, the IOC is mad that he is wearing the watch because Omega sponsors the games. This is absurd! Are all athletes supposed to be wearing only Omega watches when they compete? That is nothing short of ridiculous.

[J. Britton]

Are all of you stubborn enough or maybe not educated enough in the field of athlete sponsorship and endorsements/gifts? Sure, maybe the watch does cost at retail 500k but there's no way that Blake paid 500k for that watch. He comes from a poverty ridden area in Jamaica, Richard Mile either gave him the watch as a gift (yes that actually happens, free publicity) paid him to wear it, or if he did pay anything for it, I'm sure he got a real hefty discount. You guys need to think a bit more rounded in terms of branding and endorsements.

[Jimmybryant87]

How sad is it when the Olympics, supposedly the last true form of international competition, is being run by the sponsors and competitors can't even show thanks to their individual sponsors. Without the athletes, the Olympics would be nothing so please quit treating them like second class citizens.

[Ade Adeyemi]

Mr. Anggrek, please! You know what sponsorship means, Blake didn't pay a dime for the watch, Richard Mille gave it to him free of charge cuz the watch was going to be seen by hundreds of millions of people who watched his races. Don't attack Yohan Blake's person! I do however agree with those of you who find it revolting that people pay that much for watches.

[Allan W. Hay]

Isn't it strange how people think! Who knows whether mr. Blake paid for the watch or it was given to him by the company as an advertising project? How many of these clowns criticizing the athlete would have refused the very watch if given to them?
Even if Blake paid for it, isn't that his business what he does with his money? How concerned are these very critics about people who earn $1.00, or the cost of people's house in the US or any place else, when they are throwing away their money on cigarettes, cigars, beer and other forms of alcohol, drugs, prostitution and all the ills that do far more harm to themselves and the society than Mr. Blake's watch. How envious and stupid can people be!