Vive Léon Marchand: even his watch flex confirms he's an absolute master of speed
At the Olympics, it is rare for a local athlete to win gold medals and excite the home crowd, but when it does happen, it is truly special. Ian Thorpe did it for Australia in Sydney 2000, Mo Farah for the UK in London 2012, and now Léon Marchand is set to do the same for Paris 2024.
Referred to as 'La Baguette' for reasons that I think are simple, such as 'because he is French', the 22-year-old winning four individual swimming gold medals this week proves that the comparisons to the legendary Michael Phelps were accurate. Phelps has 23 Olympic medals to his name.
Take a closer look at Léon Marchand standing on top of a Paris 2024 podium (not near the baguette area, please), and you'll see that he shares more than just a desire for gold medals with Phelps. He also has a love for watches, particularly Omega watches. In fact, the pair even collaborated for Omega's Paris 2024 campaign, titled 'Legends Inspire Legends'. Despite the potential for jinxing things, Marchand's victory was practically guaranteed once Omega got involved, as the Swiss watchmakers have a history of precision at the Olympics dating back to 1932. So, it's no surprise that Marchand has now reached legend status.
Phelps is famous for wearing different Omega Seamaster watches, but Marchand prefers to show off his love for speed. During all the medal ceremonies at the swimming arena in Paris, the French swimmer wore an Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope.
"Maybe you would think a swimmer as good as him [pun alert] would choose to wear a Seamaster 300M or Planet Ocean, but he surprised everyone by picking the Speedmaster Chronoscope," stated Robert-Jan Broer from Fratello, who is highly knowledgeable about Omega timepieces.
Omega's official watches for the Paris 2024 Olympics are a pair of 43mm Speedmaster Chronoscopes made of steel and gold. The model, which has been around since the 1880s, is known for its triple-chronograph scales on the dial. The new versions feature hand-wound movements. Marchand chose not to wear one of these watches - maybe it was too obvious, or perhaps he had a superstition. Instead, he wore a steel version that looks almost identical, but with red markings on the subdials, bezel, and seconds hand. It also has a transparent caseback, allowing you to see the inner workings of the movement.
In terms of appearance, it is oversimplifying to state that the French are typically more fashionable than Americans, but this could explain why Marchand chooses a Speedmaster over a Seamaster. Broer notes that the Speedmaster has a traditional look that may be more important to him than its water-resistance. This viewpoint is shared by some in the watch world who believe the Speedmaster looks better on the wrist than the Seamaster.
However, it's important to consider practicality as well. For example, it's unlikely that an Olympic swimmer would have a need for a dive watch, since swimmers typically don't wear watches during races. Marchand's decision to choose the Speedmaster is intriguing, but the pulsometer scale and chronograph features could be useful for timing events both in and out of the water.
No matter the motivations behind it, one thing is clear – he is currently the darling of Parisians. And he rightfully deserves his time in the spotlight.
