5 watch brands from Son Heung-min’s winning collection: the UK Premier League football star loves Rolex and Patek Philippe, and turned heads when he wore an unreleased Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic

Mar 10 , 2024

Son Heung-Min’s special Tag Heuer Aquaracer Automatic watch, from an edition of 777 pieces. Photo: @ebay/Pinterest

South Korean culture has taken the world by storm over the past decade with the rise of the entertainment industry. The popularity of K-pop, K-drama and South Korean cinema has made names like Blackpink, Song Hye-kyo and Wi Ha-joon internationally recognised.

But entertainment isn’t the only thing the Asian powerhouse is exporting – one of the biggest names to come out of the country is making a splash in the sports realm.

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur (left) battles with Chris Richards of Crystal Palace during an English Premier League match in London, Britain, on March 2. Photo: EPA-EFE

Footballer Son Heung-min made history in 2023, becoming the first Asian player to score 100 English Premier League football goals. A striker and captain for Tottenham Hotspur, Son has amassed an enormous following in his home and among football fans worldwide.

With his immense fame, he’s also landed several lucrative brand ambassador deals; his football contract alone brought in £9.88 million (US$12.6 million) in the 2022 to 2023 season, according to Spotrac.com. An estimated net worth of US$50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, has enabled Son’s appetite for luxury watches.

His various roles as ambassadors, past and present, linked him to watch brands that range from Swiss-made to connected. Let’s take a closer look at his collection.

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1. Samsung

Son Heung-min, sporting a Samsung smartwatch. Photo: @samsungmobile/Instagram

As one of the biggest sports names to hail from South Korea, Son’s fame naturally lead him to a contract with one of the country’s biggest brands, Samsung. He’s shared a number of photos with his 13.9 million Instagram followers wearing the smartphone and electronics brand’s Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The star made headlines in the tech circuit when he was spotted wearing the Watch 6 last summer before its release in July.

Judging from his solid relationship with the brand, it could well be a calculated PR stunt by the electronic giant.

2. Tag Heuer

Son Heung-min for Tag Heuer. Photo: Tag Heuer

Son has been an ambassador for Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer, appearing in several ad campaigns and wearing the piece to events and in private. In 2019, the brand released the Aquaracer Automatic HMS limited edition watch in his name. The blue dial nods to Tottenham’s team colours while the blue and red hour marker at the 12 o’clock position pays homage to his South Korean roots. The piece was created in a limited run of 777, which references the No 7, his player number displayed on his shirt.

When not supporting his sponsors, the footballer appears to prefer classics from Patek Philippe and Rolex. He’s been spotted wearing pieces from the two brands numerous times, and his collection seems to comprise mainly of these.

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3. Patek Philippe

Son Heung-min wearing a Patek Philippe Nautilus. Photo: @watchopea/Instagram

The footballer, unsurprisingly, has an affinity for sports watches. Apparently a fan of the cushion case with a square or rectangular shape and softly rounded corners, he owns several Patek Philippe Nautilus and Aquanauts models. Among the pieces in his collection include the 5980/1R, a Nautilus in rose gold featuring the chronograph function.

Son Heung-min spotted wearing another of his Patek Philippes. Photo: @watchopea/Instagram

Another rose gold piece he has from Patek Philippe is the Travel Time 5164R-001, which displays local and home time and has a day/night indicator for the two selected time zones. Son’s rose-gold piece is paired with a chocolate brown dial and a matching rubber strap.

4. Rolex

Son Heung-min is also a Rolex fan. Photo: @watchopea/Instagram

The star also owns several popular Rolex references, including a pair of chronographs. One of the most popular models from the watchmaker, the Cosmograph Daytona, has been expressed in various iterations and colourways over the decades.

Son, who seems fond of precious alloys when it comes to his watches, has been spotted wearing Daytonas in platinum and yellow gold.

Son Heung-min with his platinum Rolex Daytona. Photo: @watchopea/Instagram

His platinum reference features an ice-blue dial and a brown Cerachrom bezel, while the yellow-gold piece has a vibrant green dial.

Timepieces

Korean stars from Blackpink to Song Hye-kyo have taken the world by storm, but it’s not all about showbiz – footballer Son Heung-min boasts a US$50 million net worth, and millions of Instagram followers
In 2019, Tag Heuer released the limited edition Aquaracer Automatic HMS in his name in a run of 777 pieces – referencing the No 7, his player number