Classy sportsmen like Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter have made athlete-endorsed watches fairly commonplace, but until Kobe Bryant's collaboration with Nubeo for the Nubeo Black Mamba, basketball players typically weren't seen as watch designers.
Nubeo says that Kobe Bryant played a huge role in the design of the Black Mamba, even naming the watch after his on-court moniker. There will be three iterations of the Nubeo Black Mamba, each featuring ocean and jellyfish-inspired organic shapes. Black titanium and black sapphires will bling out the Black Mamba MVP, which is set to retail for $285,000.
Basketball Star Watches
Kobe Bryant Collaborates With Nubeo for the Nubeo Black Mamba
Trend Themes
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Athlete-endorsed Luxury Watches — There is an opportunity for luxury watch brands to collaborate with more athletes to appeal to sporty consumers.
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Basketball-inspired Timepieces — There is potential for watch brands to create timepieces with a basketball theme to appeal to fans and players alike.
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Celebrity-designed Watches — There is a potential disruption in the market for celebrities to collaborate with watch brands in designing their own timepieces.
Industry Implications
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Luxury Watches — Luxury watch brands can look to collaborate with athletes to create limited-edition collections to attract sporty consumers.
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Sports Merchandise — Sports merchandise retail companies can look into expanding their product offerings to include basketball-inspired timepieces.
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Celebrity-branded Products — Various brands can look to collaborate with celebrities to create unique products, such as watches, to appeal to their fanbase.