Artisans de Genève Builds a Tennis-Ready Skeletonized Rolex for John McEnroe

Following an exceptionally bespoke piece created for football superstar Andrea Pirlo, Swiss timepiece workshop Artisans de Genève has now crafted yet another incredibly unique watch for another legendary athlete, this time working with tennis champion John McEnroe.

Dubbed the Lefty Project (so that McEnroe could wear the watch without it getting in the way of his game) almost every facet of the original Rolex Submariner has been reworked with the utmost precision. Not only is the dial itself intricately skeletonized, but the 3135 caliber movement has also be cut, bezeled, and finished by hand. To provide an uninterrupted view of the impeccable mechanism, Artisans de Genève even built a new sapphire date wheel, working together with a lumed background so the date can be read in low light conditions. The usual ceramic bezel insert has been replaced with a tungsten one, while the lugs of the case have been shifted to a 45-degree angle to better accommodate the curvature of the wrist.

“I am a collector, timepieces have always been a source of pleasure for me,” says McEnroe. “My watch had to be above all beautiful, very beautiful, elegant and modern at the same time. I like to be on time, I don’t want to be late with a watch like this, you don’t have any excuses.”

Not including the price of the original Rolex Submariner, the modifications came at a price tag of 37,479.60 CHF, or roughly $39,709 USD.

Elsewhere in watches, Porsche Design has released a 1919 Chronotimer Flyback in deep blue.