Finally, more than a quarter of a century after Zinedine Zidane, Karim Benzema leaves the Théâtre du Châtelet with the Ballon d'Or.
A reward that the Real Madrid striker will have come to collect with one of the many watches in his collection on his wrist, a split-seconds chronograph Richard Mille RM 65-01, carrying the house's most complex caliber.
A piece unveiled in 2020, originally offered at around €250,000 but found at twice its initial price on specialized sites.
Alexia Putellas, meanwhile, wore her Hublot Classic Fusion King Gold Diamonds 38mm to pick up her second Ballon d'Or in a row.
A watch worth around €22,000.
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Karim Benzema with his Richard Mille RM 65-01 on his wrist.
AFP / FRANCK FIFE / AFP / FRANCK FIFE
Both of them did not leave Paris empty-handed, since the Swiss watchmaker Purnell, partner of the event, offered them each a unique piece engraved with their name worth one million euros. euros.
It was its founder (and ex-footballer) Maurizio Mazzocchi, who gave them these creations of the house, on which a Ballon d'Or replaces the usual tourbillon located at 6 o'clock on the dial of this timepiece. haute horlogerie with a 48 mm diameter case in rose gold.
Karim Benzema and Maurizio Mazzocchi.
REAU ALEXIS/THE TEAM
But it is not these timepieces as expensive as they are rare that will have made the buzz online this year.
Certainly, fashion lovers have noted Karim Benzema's Fendi tuxedo and his Tupac-style collar.
But the evening's spectators particularly noticed the watch worn by the always humble and elegant Robert Lewandowski, who this year received the award for goalscorer of the year, the first Gerd Muller trophy, for his 57 goals in 56 matches in all competitions. confused with Poland and Bayern Munich last season.
He, who nevertheless earns 23 million euros per year in his club, wore a golden vintage Casio on his wrist, a reference A158WETG-9A, worth precisely €59.90.
A digital Casio watch with a very 1980s style. AFP / FRANCK FIFE
If some do not understand how such a rich and famous footballer can wear such a cheap watch, others on the contrary congratulate him for this surprising horological choice: one does not wear a watch for its price but for its style, because we appreciate it as a direct complement to a look.
However, this very 1980s-style digital watch has also long been a timeless classic in the eyes of fashionistas.
This very wisely priced vintage Casio displayed on a ceremonial evening does not prevent the Bayern player from also owning very beautiful pieces of fine watchmaking… But money is not always what matters most: the style too.
A million-euro Purnell x Ballon d'Or Sapphire.
Purnell
And if you feel a pang of jealousy at the idea of not owning the same watch as the new Ballon d'Ors, know that Purnell also offers a very limited Purnell x Ballon d'Or Sapphire edition in its Geneva boutique. .