Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas were crowned and inducted into the Ballon d’Or™ Hall of Fame and awarded each a Purnell x Ballon d'Or™ unique Piece. 

This year marked the second for the brand as an Official Partner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or™, a partnership that is rooted in both institutions' valor for excellence and rewarding the best of the best—hyper-horology meeting the art of football.

This year showed Putellas winning back-to-back Ballon d’Or™ and her second Purnell unique timepiece to go along with it—making her the first female football player to do so and an especially incredible feat after recovering from a knee injury earlier in the season. For Benzema, this award is his first Ballon d’Or™, after a meteoric rise and undeniable performances in the 2021-2022 season. It also makes him the first French player since his mentor, Zinedine Zidane, win in 1998.

An evening filled with Glamour

This 66th edition of the Ballon d’Or™ proved to be one of the most symbolic for sports in a long time. Both were invited by Purnell, Friends of the Brand Marcell Jacobs, 100 m Olympic Champion and European World Record Holder, joined the brand in a private salon alongside Andrea Bocelli, who later performed “Nessum Dorma” at the opening of the festivities. It also proved to be a unifying event for football as a whole, as legends and past Ballon d’Or™ winners joined to celebrate the evening, including Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and Shevchenko.

Absolute Excellence

On the occasion of the 2022 Ballon d’Or™, Purnell will also present a limited edition of 3 pieces of the Purnell x Ballon d’Or™ donned in a 100% Swiss Made Transparent Sapphire.

“Football is the most popular sport in the world, and the Ballon d’Or™ its most prestigious distinction,” said Maurizio Mazzocchi, CEO of Purnell. “Purnell stands for the best, for the ultimate in the watch industry, and could only attach its name to the very best players, the Ballon d’Or™ winners.”

“I think that Purnell and the Ballon d’Or™ share two essential values: very high standards of excellence and the taste for performance,” shares Pascal Ferré, Editor-in-Chief of France Football.

Limited to 3 pieces and retailed at CHF 1 million each, the Purnell x Ballon d’Or™ Sapphire Limited Edition will be exclusively available for Purnell’s clientele in its showroom on Rue du Rhône in Geneva, Switzerland.