On Saturday, the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans began its 100th iteration with NBA legend LeBron James waving the French flag and giving the instruction “Pilotes, demarrez vos moteurs” to start the race. James began the event by telling the drivers to start their engines.

The basketball legend, who is 38 years old, joined the likes of Rafael Nadal and Brad Pitt on the illustrious list of celebrities who have been given the pleasure of serving as the official starter for the world’s toughest endurance event. In doing so, he put his name to the famous list of celebrities who have earned this honor. However, there was a teeny-tiny issue with it. LeBron James waved the flag wearing a Patek Philippe and not a Rolex, which has created an embarrassing situation for the brand that has supported the 24 Hours of Le Mans for many years now.

Since the race’s inception in 1901, the 24 Hours of Le Mans has counted on Rolex as its official timing partner. In order to commemorate the one hundredth running of the illustrious racing competition, the Swiss watchmaker even crafted one-of-a-kind engraved Daytona watches, which were presented to the victorious drivers. The decision that NBA superstar LeBron James made to wear a Patek Philippe with a vivid Tiffany blue dial to an event that was backed by Rolex has caused some people to raise their heads.

This is especially the case when considering the fact that James owns a large collection of Rolex watches. Given that LeBron is well known for his passion for Patek Philippe watches, it is possible that the situation was not intended to be a PR disaster, despite the fact that it may be interpreted as such.

Patek Philippe’s Nautilus reference number 5711/1A-018 ‘Tiffany & Co.’ was the wristwatch that LeBron James sported while attending the horse racing event. The clock, which was introduced in 2021 and was restricted to a production run of only 170 pieces, was made to mark the 170th anniversary of the partnership between the Swiss watchmaker and Tiffany & Co. The dial of the watch, which is lacquered in “Tiffany Blue” and has the emblem of a well-known American jeweler, is the piece de resistance of the timepiece. The Patek Philippe Caliber 26-330 S C is a self-winding movement with a power reserve that ranges between 35 and 45 hours. It is protected by a casing that has a diameter of 40 millimeters and is made of stainless steel. Although the watch could have been purchased for a starting price of $52,635, the very first watch was sold at auction for a staggering $6.5 million.