World Series Special: 5 Watches and Accessories Inspired by Baseball | WatchTime

World Series Special: 5 Watches and Accessories Inspired by Baseball | WatchTime

The 2021 World Series is in full swing as America’s Pastime takes its place at the top of the United States’ national sports pyramid at the end of October. Tapping into baseball’s historical mystique as well as the star power of its greatest players, several watchmakers have produced timepieces that celebrate this uniquely American game. Here are four watches (and one really cool watch-adjacent accessory) that speak to baseball’s enduring appeal.

The Oris Roberto Clemente Limited Edition pays homage to legendary Pittsburgh Pirates player and renowned humanitarian Roberto Clemente. Its white dial with black-and-gold accents is inspired by Clemente’s Pirates uniform colors, and its 40-mm stainless steel case with screw-in security crown has a solid engraved caseback with a relief image of the Hall of Famer along with the watch’s limited edition number out of 3,000 pieces inspired by Clemente’s historic achievement as the first Latino player with 3,000 hits. Equipped with the automatic Caliber 754, which powers a GMT function, the watch is mounted on a brown leather strap with double stitching similar to that used on baseballs. More details here.

Oris Roberto Clemente Limited Edition

The Pennsylvania Series 801 “Baseball in Enamel,” launched in 2014 by Lancaster, PA-based RGM Watch Company, takes its cues from a rare 1892 American Waltham Watch Co. pocketwatch with a special baseball-themed enamel dial that Watch Company founder Roland Murphy discovered while touring the National Watch and Clock Museum. After a three-year search, Murphy found an expert craftsman to re-create the grand feu enamel dial, depicting miniature baseball players at the hour positions, for a wristwatch. Behind that masterfully executed enamel dial is RGM’s in-house Caliber 801 movement, with classically shaped bridges, polished and blued steel components, and an array of hand-finishes and decorations. The polished steel case, with its Keystone-shaped winding crown,

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Marucci Sports Tightens Its Grip On Baseball, Buying Lizard Skins For Almost $50 Million

Marucci Sports Tightens Its Grip On Baseball, Buying Lizard Skins For Almost  Million

Baseball equipment company Marucci Sports today announced the acquisition of Lizard Skins, a manufacturer of grip tape used in baseball, hockey and other sports, as part of a bid to expand its position in the industry and test the waters in new markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, according to people familiar with the matter, the deal is worth nearly $50 million.

Since being founded by former major leaguer Kurt Ainsworth and a pair of partners in 2004, Marucci Sports has grown into a baseball-bat powerhouse. More than 25% of MLB players used Marucci bats on opening day this year, according to Bat Digest, the single highest share of any brand. Another 15% used Victus, a subsidiary of Marucci that the company acquired in 2017. That type of dominance is part of what led investment holding company Compass Diversified to purchase Marucci for $200 million in April 2020. Albert Pujols, Buster Posey, David Ortiz and several other active and retired MLB stars previously invested in Marucci, although the company would not disclose who is still actively involved. (Both brands are also featured as equip-able apparel in Sony Interactive’s MLB The Show video game franchise.)

But the major leagues are just a small fraction of Marucci’s business; Ainsworth says MLB accounts for “probably less than 2% overall sales.” Marucci posted a profit of $28 million on $99 million in revenue for the trailing 12 months ending on June 30. In addition to producing wood and aluminum bats from T-ball all the way to the pros, Marucci makes uniforms, batting gloves, bags and “pretty much everything right

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