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The push for the postseason is here for Major League Baseball and there are plenty of intriguing storylines on the field,
including the battle for the remaining Wild Card spots, and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ push for a World Series three-peat. But one of the biggest stories of the season took place last month — and it didn’t have anything to do with baseball at all.
Oakland Athletics star Lawrence Butler became the first known Major League Baseball player to wear a watch on the field, when he took to the plate during a game in Houston on Aug. 21 sporting a $7,000 watch from independent Swiss watch brand NORQAIN.
Dubbed the Wild ONE Skeleton Gecko, the watch’s lime green — sorry, gecko green — mesh rubber strap and distinctive black dial was hard to miss on Butler. The A’s star first drew stares when he took to batting practice before the game with the watch strapped to his wrist, but he later made history by becoming the first MLB player to wear a mechanical watch onto the field.
BEST FOR SPORTS FANS
NORQAIN Wild ONE Skeleton Gecko
The Wild ONE Skeleton Gecko is a performance timepiece designed for active lifestyles, with a durable, shock-absorbing case, scratch-proof sapphire glass, and a super flexible mesh wristband that won’t absorb sweat. In other words, it can handle a few bumps and drops without worry.
The case itself is made from NORQAIN’s ultra lightweight “NORTEQ” material, which the brand says is six-times lighter than steel and 3.5-times lighter than titanium. The entire watch weighs just 78 grams — less than the weight of two medium-sized eggs.
The Swiss-made watch was designed in collaboration with Jean-Claude Biver, the longtime CEO of watchmaker TAG Heuer, and like many of NORQAIN’s pieces, the Skeleton Gecko is expected to sell quickly (it’s still available as of this writing on the official NORQAIN site).
Interestingly enough, while Butler wore his NORQAIN watch while playing a baseball game, the brand actually got its start in hockey. NORQAIN is owned by two-time league MVP Sidney Crosby, four-time All-Star Roman Josi, and former Stanley Cup champion, Mark Streit. It is also the “Official Luxury Sports Watch” of the NHL.
The brand is now branching out into other sports, with Swiss tennis champ Stan Wawrinka having worn a NORQAIN watch on the court, along with athletes like reigning Olympic gold medalist skier, Federica Brignone, and soccer star, Fabian Schär, who played for Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup. You can see all of the brand’s latest celebrity and athlete ambassadors here.
As for baseball, Butler may have sported the NORQAIN watch to the Oakland game last month, but there’s a reason why the outfielder was the first player (or at least first documented player) to wear a timepiece onto the field. While Major League Baseball doesn’t have any explicit rules prohibiting players from wearing watches or any form of jewelry, the main concern has always been that the accessories could impact play or cause injury — say, if a player is sliding into a base or if the watch gets tangled in their glove. Fortunately, Butler’s play wasn’t hampered at all by his Wild ONE Skeleton Gecko, though the A’s went on to lose the game to the Astros by a score of 4-0.
The baseball star’s game-worn, history-making watch was donated to the MLB, who will auction it off for charity. Fans can pick up their own Skeleton Gecko watch at NORQAIN.com.
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