The 2021 World Series is in full swing as America’s Pastime takes its place at the top of the United States’ national sports pyramid at the end of October. Tapping into baseball’s historical mystique as well as the star power of its greatest players, several watchmakers have produced timepieces that celebrate this uniquely American game. Here are four watches (and one really cool watch-adjacent accessory) that speak to baseball’s enduring appeal.
The Oris Roberto Clemente Limited Edition pays homage to legendary Pittsburgh Pirates player and renowned humanitarian Roberto Clemente. Its white dial with black-and-gold accents is inspired by Clemente’s Pirates uniform colors, and its 40-mm stainless steel case with screw-in security crown has a solid engraved caseback with a relief image of the Hall of Famer along with the watch’s limited edition number out of 3,000 pieces inspired by Clemente’s historic achievement as the first Latino player with 3,000 hits. Equipped with the automatic Caliber 754, which powers a GMT function, the watch is mounted on a brown leather strap with double stitching similar to that used on baseballs. More details here.
The Pennsylvania Series 801 “Baseball in Enamel,” launched in 2014 by Lancaster, PA-based RGM Watch Company, takes its cues from a rare 1892 American Waltham Watch Co. pocketwatch with a special baseball-themed enamel dial that Watch Company founder Roland Murphy discovered while touring the National Watch and Clock Museum. After a three-year search, Murphy found an expert craftsman to re-create the grand feu enamel dial, depicting miniature baseball players at the hour positions, for a wristwatch. Behind that masterfully executed enamel dial is RGM’s in-house Caliber 801 movement, with classically shaped bridges, polished and blued steel components, and an array of hand-finishes and decorations. The polished steel case, with its Keystone-shaped winding crown,