Xabi Alonso's passion for watches

Xabi Alonso, the personification of understated excellence throughout his playing career has transitioned to life on the touchline with as much ease and elegance as that of his cross-field passes. Yet, his seeming nonchalance acts as a remarkably successful facade to conceal his unceasing determination to win, a trait that influenced his Bayer Leverkusen so much that they made Bundesliga history by going 33 consecutive games unbeaten, including a dominant 3-0 win over defending champions Bayern Munich. As Jurgen Klopp looks to close the final chapter of his Liverpool legacy come the end of the 2023/24 season, and with recent news that fellow German Thomas Tuchel will be leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season, Xabi Alonso looks certain to walk into whichever of his former clubs best appeals to him.

And if his Bayer Leverkusen team plays according to perfect mechanisms that are wonderfully oiled by the tactical acumen of their coach, then perhaps it is because of Xabi Alonso's passion for watches. Machines of absolute precision that tolerate no imperfections or delays and that impress with their elegant yet subtle and refined style. A metaphor for the Basque coach's management philosophy and football style, but also for his personal sense of style, which has enabled him to create a sophisticated public persona - just like the design of the watches he proudly owns. Mirroring his style on both John F Kennedy and Paul Newman, the two-time Champions League winner can often be spotted adorning items from the likes of Bruno Cucinelli and James Perse, whilst his timepiece collection ranges from IWC Schaffhausen of which he is a brand ambassador, to Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet. Alonso finds representation of his personality within the IWC watches he owns, including an IWC Ingenieur, a gift from his wife Nagore Aranburu on their wedding day, explaining to Mr Porter that: “I like IWC watches because they’re not overly showy, attention-grabbing watches – they have a certain sophistication without being flashy.” I am sure those lucky enough to have La Barba Roja play will immediately notice the parallels. 

As alluded to in the previous paragraph, in 2016, when playing for Bayern Munich, Alonso and Mr Porter released a video in celebration of the retailer welcoming IWC to their product base in which Xabi Alonso ran through some of his more unique and meaningful timepieces that belong in his collection with beautiful incidental shots of him driving a Porsche 356 Speedster just to add an unnecessary yet more than welcome class to an already classy production. The two watches showcased that relate directly to his on-field experiences are a 1/30 (his being the number 14, naturally) Frank Muller gifted to him and the rest of the Liverpool squad following their hallowed victory in Istanbul over giants AC Milan in 2005, a watch which kick-started his love of horology more generally, and an IWC Portugieser which he received following Spain’s 2012 European Championships victory, the third international final in a row that the Spaniards had won, cementing themselves as one of, if not the greatest European national side of the modern era. Alonso explained how: “for me, every special moment is bound to be linked to a particular watch and whenever I put it on I’m transported back to that moment.” But of course there is also an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in his collection - a true statement piece, a watch celebrated for its unique design and precision to the thousandths. The model features a 41 mm rose gold case with a brown dial and a crocodile strap in the same color. The watch is water-resistant to 50 meters, equipped with an automatic movement and has a power reserve of 55 hours.

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The perfect model to wear on the sidelines while celebrating Grimaldo's deep cut or Florian Wirtz's moves between the lines, or to sip a glass of red wine at the country club. Xabi Alonso's longevity at the top of football is down to his ability to play with his head, and it seems his Bayer Leverkusen does the same: he has the ability to be ruthlessly precise and relentless while giving the impression of barely breaking a sweat, effortlessly manipulating the opposition into compressed spaces and then pulling the rug out from under them with a precise pass to break up the geometry. All the big European clubs want him as their next leader, a winner and innovator with an innate style, the perfect coach at a time when even the eye is involved. We don't know what his next stage will be, but whatever he does next, we expect to see many more watches added to his collection to show off on the sidelines.