Avantist’s dedication to watchmaking is admirable, with founder Keeran Janin keen to not only create watches that are exceptionally high quality, but also that tell a story. The Legend Series Martina Navratilova 1987 (₤8,000) does just that – available in a limited edition of 30, it retells the tale of Martina Navratilova’s eighth Wimbledon win in 1987.
Her victory against Steffi Graf, then a 17-year-old newcomer who had earlier defeated Martina in the French Open finals, was a real triumph. Winning with straight sets, it quickly became obvious she was going to scoop the trophy, and her obvious skill was only confirmed later that year when she won the triple-crown (singles, doubles and mixed doubles) at the US Open.
Her Wimbledon win is commemorated in this watch, which incorporates a length of string taken from the winning racquet in the Swiss-made dial. Set beneath a clean topic sapphire crystal, it sits in an impeccably light titanium and stainless steel case. With a 21-jewel automatic calibre, based on the ETA-2892, at its heart, extreme precision is guaranteed.
