Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Emmanuel Adebayor spotted wearing De La Cour

Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togolese international striker then playing for Tottenham Hotspur, was photographed wearing what is arguably the most personalised watch in his well-documented collection: a solid rose gold De La Cour Bichrono, reference WAST2236-0979, customised by London jeweller Frost of London to a specification that leaves virtually nothing generic about the piece.

De La Cour is a Geneva-based independent house that positions itself firmly at the intersection of haute horlogerie and high jewellery. The Bichrono reference WAST2236-0979 is built on a self-winding mechanical movement offering dual-time functionality — a technically coherent complication dressed in a case machined from solid 18k rose gold rather than the gold-capped or plated constructions more common at lower price points. The case architecture is bold and architecturally chunky, consistent with De La Cour's design language that targets collectors who want scale and presence on the wrist.

What elevates this particular example into a category of its own is the Frost of London commission. The entire dial surface is set in full pavé diamonds — no gap, no relief, just an unbroken field of brilliant-cut stones. Over that foundation, Frost added three layers of personal identity: the green, yellow, and red of the Togolese national flag, Adebayor's personal initials, and his shirt number. Commissions of this depth require the stone-setting to be planned around the graphic elements, making the execution genuinely complex and the result entirely one-of-a-kind.

Adebayor has long been known for investing in serious jewellery-grade watches rather than simply collecting the standard references favoured by Premier League peers. This De La Cour sits alongside a broader collection that reflects a taste for maximum visual impact combined with personal narrative — the watch functions as wearable autobiography as much as a timekeeping instrument.

With a UK RRP of £125,000 at point of customisation, the piece sits in territory where bespoke labour, solid gold weight, and full pavé stone-setting combine to justify the figure independently of any brand premium. On the grey market, one-of-a-kind commissions of this nature are effectively unresaleable at a standard price — value is tied entirely to the next buyer's appreciation of the specific personalisation, making market comparisons largely academic.