In his 26-year career as a professional boxer, Senator Manny Pacquiao has won 12 major titles in eight weight divisions. Because of this, boxing historians regard him as one of the greatest fighters of all time. Equally impressive—albeit with naturally much lesser significance—is his collection of watches.
In 2019, Pacquiao was named by Forbes.com as the 8th highest paid athlete in the last decade, and in a May 2021 report by the South China Morning Post, he was named third richest boxer in the planet, according to The Richest’s top 10 boxing list. So it’s not entirely surprising that the senator can afford to wear some of the most coveted of timepieces. Watch Manila recently posted a video that looks backs at some of the luxury watches the top tier pugilist wore in his professional boxing career.
Watch Manila began as an Instagram account that looks at the watches worn by some of the country’s VIPs and business titans. The Senator has, of course, appeared in the account a few times. For its Pacquiao video, the man behind the account, lawyer Sieg Suarez, offers a small warning: that while Watch Manila “is striving for accuracy of the watches identified, it may still occur that there may be minor variations in some models.”
As can be gleaned in his pre- and post-fight photos, a watch is a favorite Pacman accessory. And one of the prominent timepieces that’s been seen on the wrist of the boxing champ is his gold Rolex Day-Date President with diamonds. The Day-Date is the iconic watch preferred by equally iconic men from US business magnate Warren Buffett to music superstar Jay-Z. The Pacman was seen wearing the said watch leading up to his second fight against Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez in March 2008.
Four years prior, however, when the two boxers had their first bout, Manny was seen wearing another Rolex, this time a stainless steel Daytona, the current version of which, says Watch Manila’s Suarez, is now extremely difficult to get hold of from authorized dealers due to the long wait list and limited availability.
Another Rolex Pacman has worn a lot in public is his gold GMT-Master II with diamonds. The man wore it during the pre- and post-fight appearances for his bout against Floyd Mayweather in 2015. The watch’s key feature is that it displays time in two different time zones simultaneously.
In his most recent fight, meanwhile, the Senator was seen wearing another Rolex but a surprising one. It was a Daytona in everose gold and leather. This Daytona is one of the more elegant and subtle watches the boxing icon has worn in public, considering his penchant for the blingy type of timepieces like his Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711, another one of his watches covered in diamonds.
While Pacquiao is obviously a big Rolex fan—he’s also been seen wearing a gold Rolex Yacht Master 2—his stash can spring some surprises, as in the distinctively more fashiony but still sporty Louis Vuitton Tambour Diving II—the luxury brand’s first diving watch. It has a streamlined dial and large luminescent indicators that make it easy to read the time. But we’re guessing the Senator was also drawn to its irresistible, very nationalistic, color combination of blue and red.
Some years back, as the Watch Manila video reminds us, the boxing champ’s stature in the world of boxing earned him the distinction of having a couple of watches created in his name. Suarez notes that after Pacman’s victory against Oscar De la Hoya in 2008 and Ricky Hatton in 2009, Pacman struck a deal with Victorinox.
The Swiss watch brand released the Maverick II ‘Pacman’ Limited Edition watch in 2009 as a tribute to Pacquiao. The watch case was a combination of steel and aluminum, and featured a sapphire crystal. On the case back was an image of Manny Pacquiao with the Philippine flag.
Technomarine also produced a limited edition “Manny Pacquiao 8” or MP8. It had red and blue details evoking the Philippine flag. And the number “8” was prominently displayed on the face of the watch, reminding all and sundry of his distinction as the only eight-division world champion in boxing history.
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