Inside Lewis Hamilton’s watch and jewellery collection

By Kim Parker

Following a row with the racing body FIA earlier this summer, after it clamped down on an existing (yet rarely enforced) rule from 2005 that forbid drivers from wearing jewellery during Formula 1 races, the impressive jewellery collection of Lewis Hamilton has been the subject of much debate. 

The seven-time world champion driver is renowned for his love of blinged out accessories. Back in May, he appeared at a press conference loaded with three watches, rings on every finger and layers of necklaces in protest at the FIA’s crackdown on jewellery wearing.  “I just put on as much [jewellery] as I could,” he later revealed in an interview for Vanity Fair. It wasn’t the first time Hamilton’s unapologetically bold approach to precious jewels had hit the headlines. Back in 2016, Hamilton also told the New York Times, “They say, ‘diamonds are a woman’s best friend’. I disagree, because they can be the same for men. I’m probably the only man in my sport who wears diamonds.” 

Being an elite athlete in the world’s spotlight, as well as one of the stars of the hit Netflix docu-series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, Hamilton has done much to popularise men’s fine jewellery in recent years, especially on the red carpet. Shimmering brooches and strings of pearls embellish his sleek suited-and-booted looks at formal affairs, whilst artful tumbles of chunky diamond chains and wristfuls of bangles regularly accompany his utility jackets, denim and street-style looks at fashion shows or high-profile parties.

Hamilton’s ears, too, are rarely unadorned. Each boasts multiple piercings, allowing him to switch effortlessly between studs, diamonds and a curated assortment of shimmering huggy hoops with delicate charms as the mood takes him. Hamilton’s whole look is one that exudes confidence and a love of experimentation. It’s the adventurous swagger of a man who takes pride in his appearance, of a fashionable sportsman (that rare combination) who derives joy from amassing a truly lust-worthy jewellery collection.

And we’re here for it. Whenever Lewis Hamilton eventually decides to hang up his driving gloves, he’ll be doing it as a bona-fide style icon.

Below, we take a look at some of the sporting legend’s most memorable pieces:

At a Louis Vuitton catwalk show in 2019

At the 2019 Met Gala

At his 2021 investiture at Windsor Castle

Walking the runway for Balenciaga in 2021

Attending the 2021 WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards

Like this? Discover the symbolic meaning behind Lewis Hamilton’s refusal to remove his jewellery.