Watch Paparazzi

Boxer Floyd Mayweather spotted wearing Purnell

Floyd Mayweather has long treated horology as a competitive sport, and his latest documented wrist turn signals no change in strategy. The undefeated boxing legend was recently spotted wearing a Purnell Escape II Baguette Rainbow, a 48mm rose-gold marvel that retails at approximately $1,460,000 USD and represents one of the most technically dense watches available to private collectors today.

Purnell is a small, Geneva-based independent maison founded in 2006 by Bertrand Grospiron. The brand built its identity around the Escape caliber, a movement architecture defined by its dual co-axial flying tourbillons. Each of the two tourbillon cages rotates on its own axis while also orbiting a common center — a system Purnell calls the 'Escape' complication — effectively counteracting gravitational error across multiple planes simultaneously. The movement beats at 3Hz and offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve via twin series-coupled barrels.

The Rainbow Baguette configuration elevates the mechanical core into gemological theater. Baguette-cut colored stones — sapphires, rubies, tsavorites, amethysts, and citrines — are set in a graduated chromatic sequence around the bezel and chapter ring, a task requiring months of artisanal lapidary work. The skeletal rose-gold dial offers full visibility to the flying tourbillon bridges and gear trains beneath, framed by blued components that contrast sharply against the warm case metal. The white rubber strap keeps the overall presentation surprisingly legible.

For collectors, the Escape II occupies rare territory: it is technically comparable to top-tier complications from Greubel Forsey or MB&F, yet Purnell remains considerably more obscure, lending pieces like this an exclusivity that transcends price tag alone. Production is extremely limited, and gem-set Rainbow variants rarely surface on the secondary market.

Mayweather's affinity for Purnell follows documented acquisitions of Jacob & Co. Astronomia pieces and Richard Mille skeletons — watches where mechanical transparency meets maximum visual impact. At $1.46 million, the Escape II Baguette Rainbow is not a flex for its price alone; it is a serious horological object worn by someone who has clearly been advised well on the upper echelon of independent watchmaking.