Padel power — the new sports-inspired timepieces The Times Ellen Goffee Padel power — the new sports-inspired timepieces new From Audemars Piguet to Rolex, the luxury watch industry is locking on to padel as the emerging sport's high-society popularity explodes From left: watches by Certina and Audemars Piguet Ellen Goffee Friday October 16 2026, 11.00pm BST , The Times Listen 0:00 / · 4:12 min Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save Puzzles Challenge yourself with today's puzzles. T he luxury world has a new sporting obsession: padel — the tennis-squash mash-up that has taken the UK, and the watch industry, by storm. Audemars Piguet's recent news that it will be the global partner and official timekeeper of the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour, with the present men's world No 1, Agustín Tapia, as a brand ambassador, combined with Rolex's entry into the sport, has taken this game out of the realm of quirky hybrid pastime. Now it's not just popular: it has social cachet. “Sport has always been an important part of AP's world as it is a space where human talent, community and shared experiences come together,” says Ilaria Resta, Audemars Piguet's chief executive. “Our entry into padel is a natural extension of that, while also giving us the opportunity to engage with a dynamic and rapidly growing audience beyond watchmaking. For us, it is not simply about visibility or reach. We want to be genuinely involved in the sport and its community, creating opportunities for our clients to connect with padel and Audemars Piguet in a more personal way.” Luxury newsletter The inside track on tech, travel, philanthropy and the hottest handbags, cars and spas. Sign up with one click You've successfully signed up to the Luxury newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Luxury newsletter Explore our newsletters Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, ￡37,200; audemarspiguet.com Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics Padel was invented in Mexico in the Sixties. It is always played in doubles, and has traditional tennis scoring until deuce, when the next point wins rather than going to advantage. The squash element comes in because you can bounce the ball off the walls and there is no “out” on the court. Most commented 1 Sonay Kartal defeats Elina Svitolina to reach Wuhan Open semi-finals Tennis 16 comments Although until recently padel was a relatively unknown sport, post-Covid it exploded. In 2025 there were some 1,500 courts in Britain. Tom Holland and David Beckham are fans — even the Princess of Wales has said she enjoys a game with her parents. Despite that, it isn't widely televised. You have to use streaming services to watch it, such as Premier Padel on Red Bull TV. Advertisement Traditionally, watch brand sponsorship has always been about visibility: Wimbledon, Formula 1, golf tournaments. However, padel still appears to have captivated the luxury industry. Prada has made a padel racket case from Re-Nylon, its material made from recycled plastic collected from the ocean. Lamborghini has teamed up with Babolat on a racket made in its northern Italian headquarters from high-quality carbon. From the watch world, a who's who of recognisable names have some involvement in the sport: Rolex (supporting the Spanish professional Arturo Coello Manso), Richard Mille, Frederique Constant and, of course, Audemars Piguet. But it was Certina who first saw the potential in padel. Certina DS-7 Chrono, ￡1,690; certina.com Top stories 1 Theo Paphitis: I bought a ￡100m business for ￡1 and two packs of Benson & Hedges Family Finances 2 Record fines for motorist victims of car cloning Family Finances 3 Premium Bonds are fun – until you realise what they are costing you Saving & Investing 4 Will Lyons: my vintage wine tour of South Australia Inspiration “It's a huge opportunity but also a huge challenge, because padel is still not 100 per cent proved,” says Dieter Pachner, the chief executive of Certina. “What differentiates us, I think, is that we want to nourish the talents at the beginning of their journey. We have a collaboration with Marta Ortega [the Madrid-born padel superstar, with whom the brand first partnered in 2024] and with Red Bull in Germany and Switzerland, with Red Bull Padel Dash.” As part of the partnership with Ortega, Certina designed a padel edition of its DS-7 Chronograph, with a carbon fibre dial that mirrors a padel racket face, green court-inspired highlights and a tiny padel ball graphic. The FIP Euro Padel Cup It is not just well-known brands that are pitching up on the padel court. In March this year, the independent Swiss marque Norqain partnered with the Singaporean retailer and distributor Sincere Fine Watches to organise a tournament in Kuala Lumpur, alongside promoting the Norquain Wild One Skeleton, an ultra-light timepiece with a shock-absorbing case made from Norteq. A proprietary Norqain composite, Norteq combines carbon fibre and a polymer mix made of 60 per cent castor oil. It may not be a BBC fixture yet, but padel's popularity both with its fans and the luxury world is in no doubt. It is only a matter of time before the mainstream broadcasters catch up. Life & Style LUXX Share Share this article Email Twitter Facebook Link Save