Perfect your backhand with these best watches for tennis
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Wimbledon is well underway. The strawberries and cream are out, and so are the Pimm’s. What you may be missing, however, is the perfect watch to wear to the tournament or to play in.
This guide to the best watches for tennis will list affordable and high-end models. It also includes special tennis edition watches and tools to help you train and perfect your game on the court.
So, whether you’re a keen tennis player or a devoted Wimbledon-goer, you’re sure to find something to treat yourself to this summer.
Table of Contents
What To Look For in a Watch for Tennis?
The qualities you need to look for in a watch for tennis are similar to those for any sport. Tennis watches need to be resilient and robust.
They should also offer some level of shock resistance to withstand the vibration through the wrist when hitting the ball. You may also consider a lightweight watch, although Federer himself swears by the steel Datejust.
Several materials make for good options when choosing a watch for tennis. These include carbon, titanium, and steel. All of these options are robust and ergonomic for use in sports.
Other valuable features include chronometer-certified movements for improved accuracy and stopwatch functions.
A tachymeter scale on a chronograph watch can assist an athlete in measuring speed based on distance during training sessions. Watches with sapphire crystal glass fronts are another essential feature.
Sapphire is second in material hardness to a diamond, so it won’t scratch easily during rigorous matches or training.
Smartwatches are another option on the market. They can help you improve your fitness, refine your training regime, and track real-time metrics. Reputable brands in the realm of smartwatch technology include Garmin, Apple, and Samsung.
Lastly, consider a durable, breathable strap, or opt for a lightweight metal bracelet for flexibility.
Of course, if you’re a spectator, you’ll need a watch that conveys the affluence and upper-class status of the sport. The following list also includes suggestions if you want style over anything else this summer.
9 of the Best Watches for Tennis
Now, let’s take a look at some of the best watches for tennis. They range from affordable to covetable pieces, each offering something a little different.
1. The Richard Mille RM 27-04
For the last decade, Richard Mille has designed watches for Rafael Nadal, one of the world’s greatest tennis players. The RM 27-04 is a perfect example of a lightweight and robust tennis tool.
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Weighing just 30 grams, including the strap, it features a tourbillon caliber and can withstand forces up to 12,000 g’s. The movement sits inside a mesh cage within a TitaCarb case (a combination of titanium and carbon fiber).
The 14-time French Open winner regularly wears this watch with his sports attire. If you want to do the same, the model’s conspicuous blue textile strap is perfect for high-performance sports. Meanwhile, the dial’s vibrant red and orange accents do a stellar job of aiding legibility.
2. IWC Aquatimer Chronograph
Have you ever wondered why dive watches are a great asset to professional sports players? Dive watches share many sports watch characteristics, including a robust case and a legible dial.
The IWC Aquatimer Chronograph is a dive-come-tool watch. Moreover, its deep blue dial is perfect for pairing with smart attire. Luminous hour markers accompany a 60-minute scale on an internal rotating bezel for measuring elapsed time underwater.
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IWC’s quick-changing bracelet system is a great asset to this watch. It enables you to go from the tennis court to a business meeting without needing any tools to change the strap.
The watch comes with a blue rubber band but would look equally great on a leather strap. As with all IWC watches, it benefits from an in-house movement.
This is a 44mm watch, so it’s perhaps not the best watch for small wrists. That said, it is a sporty timepiece that you can enjoy wearing Monday through Sunday. It also has 300-meter water resistance, making it an ideal vacation watch.
3. Seiko Prospex ‘Willard’
The key features of the Seiko Prospex “Willard” watch are its legibility and durability. It was popular with American troops during the 1970s and featured in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.
The watch carries the grass green color of the Wimbledon courts and provides legibility. The sapphire crystal glass top has an anti-reflective treatment on its surface, which rids the dial of any glare under direct sunlight.
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The watch, which takes on Seiko’s iconic turtle shape, features a screw-down crown and 200-meter water resistance. Its matching green ceramic bezel rotates unidirectionally, allowing you to measure elapsed time easily.
The watch, with a silicone band and a steel pin buckle, fits comfortably on the wrist. Whether practicing your backhand or your serve, this watch is for sports lovers of every kind.
4. TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph
This 43mm brushed steel TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph packs a punch on the wrist. Its fixed bezel in dark blue matches the tone-on-tone dial itself.
Luminous markings make this watch great for training late into the night. Its quartz movement makes it a hassle-free, low-maintenance option.
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I love the bright, sporty orange perforated rubber strap on this watch. It works a treat with the dark blue dial and the injections of orange throughout the display.
This rugged, durable model is easy to look after and creates a huge wrist presence, too.
5. Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono
Some versions of the Pelagos FXD Chrono signify TUDOR’S partnership with the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team. These models push the boundaries and feature matte black carbon composite cases.
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However, this TUDOR Pelagos FXD Chrono watch has unique specifications that can optimize your performance on the court. The extra robust fixed strap bars (FXD) promise a secure fit against wet skin.
The lightweight and strong case material delivers 200 meters of water resistance for other sports-related training.
What’s more, the beautiful TUDOR blue color of the dial interacts beautifully with the blackness of the case. These dark tones are great for pairing this neo-vintage dive watch with smarter, sophisticated attire.
6. HTD Tennis
How about a timepiece wholly inspired by the game itself? The Horological Tools Department has various colorful designs dedicated to the sport.
Available in blue, orange, or grass green, these super thin models look so retro. They offer a 9 mm case thickness and 100-meter water resistance. They also measure a very wearable 37mm diameter.
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A flat sapphire top protects each of the dial colors, while underneath the display is a Miyota automatic movement. These dials also pay homage to the tennis scoring system, with 15, 30, and 40 points marked out on them.
The riveted screw-down crown is easy to manipulate in wet conditions. Plus, HTD engineers the bracelet specifically to sit close to the skin during practice.
7. Rado Captain Cook X Cameron Norrie
For over thirty years, Rado has been sponsoring tennis. The brand’s campaigns support some of the finest young players emerging onto the court.
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In 2021, British player Cameron Norrie joined the Rado Young Stars Team and became ranked in the top ten a year later.
Rado released a limited edition Captain Cook X Cameron Norrie watch in honor of his agility and precision on grass. Although it’s no longer available directly from Rado, you can pick this watch up from an AD for around $2k.
The steel watch holds a movement at its center, capable of an 80-hour power reserve. It also features a Wimbledon green-inspired gradient dial that darkens at the edges.
Rado treats the hour markers and hands with luminous material and equips the cardinal points with tennis ball markers. The watch features a comfortable brushed and polished steel bracelet and a high-tech green ceramic bezel.
An engraving on the back of the case details that just 823 pieces of this design are available. The number is an ode to the tennis player’s August birthday.
Whether purchasing new or second-hand, this watch should come with two straps. These include a black leather band and a sporty green and white NATO textile trap.
8. Timex Legacy 36 Quartz
If you live for tennis and love watches, you’ll know Federer and Rolex are synonymous with one another. The Grand Slam winner has long been a devoted brand ambassador for the Crown maison. But a Timex may suffice for those whose budget won’t stretch as far as a Datejust.
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The Timex Legacy 36mm watch has a distinctive Datejust-inspired look. Its rich green dial is incredibly palatable and perfectly complements a two-tone case and bracelet.
The watch features an arc-shaped day window at 12 o’clock and a date aperture at 3H. A polished yellow gold-colored bezel and two-tone bracelet complete the Datejust’s sporty-come-dressy aesthetic.
This watch recreates Federer’s favorite classic at a much more affordable price.
9. Casio G-Shock Rangeman
The Casio G-Shock Rangeman‘s anti-shock structure will see you through a tennis match without an issue. It features steel shock absorbers on both sides of the case and a barometer, compass, and altimeter.
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Although not specifically aimed at tennis, these features add to the watch’s overall functionality. This tough tool is perfect for wearing during daily workouts and has a comfortable black resin strap.
The watch’s mineral glass top keeps the price down, and it also offers Bluetooth connectivity. For days off the court, you can enjoy its compass, countdown timer, world time function, and solar-powered battery.
The Best Smartwatches for Tennis
Garmin or Apple are your best options for wrist-worn smart technology. Check out these models if you want to refine your tennis game with a smartwatch.
Garmin Forerunner 745
The Garmin Forerunner 745 is great for all sports-related activities. Specifically, you can tack tennis strokes with this watch by downloading the Tennis AI app. In most modern Garmin smartwatches, you can also track tennis scores live from key matches worldwide.
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Wear the Garmin Forerunner 745 on your dominant (racket) hand and track your stroke algorithms while on the court. At the same time, you can track other stats like your heart rate, calories, and distance alongside the entire Garmin app menu.
However, the Garmin Forerunner 745 can help you improve your tennis skills in several ways. It can recognize count and power measures for your forehand, backhand, serve, and backhand slice.
It also displays results using a real-time graph and provides a summary of recorded strokes.
Apple Watch Series 9
The Apple Watch Series 9 offers improved screen legibility compared to the Series 8. It’s also great for swims, gym sessions, runs, and more.
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It holds double the storage compared to the Series 8 and measures heart rate, you can follow niche workouts on it.
If you’re running or biking as part of your training, like Andy Murray tends to do, the GPS function will come in handy.
It also lets you see all your metrics on one screen for convenience while working out!
The Takeaway: Play in Style
If following Wimbledon this year inspires you to get out on the court and perfect your swing, this guide gives you some great options.
From affordable Seiko models to pricier Richard Mille watches, these superb choices allow you to play and train to your heart’s content.
And if spectating is your only involvement in the sport, that’s OK too. Athletes in every aspect of sport favor these reputable names.
Chosen for their materials, accuracy, and reliability on and off the court, you can’t go wrong with these suggestions!
Which is your favorite watch tower when training? Leave your comments below.
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