By BEN WILLCOCKS, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Published: | Updated:
Frank Lampard has worn over £1million worth of watches on matchdays since Coventry's return to the Premier League, but the superstitious England legend may finally have found his lucky charm.
Coventry triumphed 4-1 over Newcastle to secure an emphatic second win of the campaign under Lampard on Monday night, having beaten Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground before the start of the three-week international break.
For the superstitious, Coventry’s sudden upturn in form could have something to do with the watch collection Lampard has flaunted since the start of the new season.
Against both Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, Lampard sported a new Patek Philippe Grand Complications timepiece worth a eye-watering £879,490.
Lampard’s latest luxury accessory, the Patek Philippe 5316/50P-001, features intricate complications housed in a platinum case and is by far the most expensive watch he has showcased since Coventry’s return to the Premier League, joining the ultra-rare grand complication timepieces in his collection.
At the start of the season, Lampard sported a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph (Ref. 5980/1R), crafted from 18-carat rose gold and featuring a black gradient dial.
Frank Lampard may have finally have found his lucky charm with a new £880,000 watch
Lampard has been rotating watches this season and wore a new Patek Philippe timepiece during Coventry's last two victories against Nottingham Forest (left) and Newcastle (right)
Lampard wore a stainless-steel Patek Philippe in Coventry's defeats by Man City and Brighton
But the former England international ditched the £196,560 gold timepiece after Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 victory on the opening day, courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
In Coventry's next defeat against Hull on the Premier League's second weekend, Lampard wore a Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph (Ref. 5968A), crafted from stainless steel and paired with a dark rubber strap.
That particular timepiece goes on the market for just £102,229, the cheapest from Lampard's lavish collection.
Against Manchester City and Brighton, in defeats of 1-0 and 5-0 respectively, the former Chelsea man wore a stainless-steel Patek Philippe Nautilus (Ref. 5711/1A), featuring the model’s iconic blue sunburst dial.
Although prices vary depending on the specific variant and its rarity, the watch is estimated to be worth more than £113,000, bringing the combined value of Lampard's four-watch collection to an estimated £1,290,000.
Whether or not rotating watches has become a key part of Lampard's matchday routine, the Coventry boss has previously opened up on his superstitious nature.
During his time managing Chelsea, Lampard superstitiously stuck to a rigid routine every morning, fearing that even the slightest change could affect results on matchdays.
‘It can be quite awkward,’ Lampard told Chelsea in 2019. ‘I walk the dog at a certain time on certain days and before training I will take her down to the local coffee shop, get my takeaway coffee and walk her at a certain time for a certain route. Nothing that exciting!
The manager began the season against Arsenal wearing a gold watch worth almost £200,000
He watched Coventry lose to Hull in August wearing a blue-strapped watch worth £102,000
'I walk the dog a lot and I find it is good for clearing the head and for that, I like going to the gym as well. That is another one of my superstitions. I have to do exactly the same amount of time on the bike, 50 minutes, or the exact same route that I run.
‘If I don’t do the routines I feel, ridiculously, like it might have an effect on results. But sometimes I do miss the dog walk for some reason.’
With a trip to winless Tottenham up next, Lampard may be reluctant to part with his new lucky timepiece as Coventry head to north London on Monday.