Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2009: A Watch, a Trophy, a Moment

By Superwatchman
Sep 22, 2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE / PEOPLE & THEIR WATCHES

Some watches are remembered for their design. Others become attached to a particular afternoon. For Roger Federer, the 2009 Wimbledon final offers a way to think about both: a historic victory, a familiar trophy and a watch that entered the picture when the tennis was over.

Embed from Getty Images

Archive photograph: Roger Federer after the Wimbledon final, 5 July 2009. Paul Gilham/Getty Images.

The afternoon behind the photograph

Federer defeated Andy Roddick in five sets on 5 July 2009, with the deciding set stretching to 16–14. The victory brought him a sixth Wimbledon singles title and a then-record 15th major singles championship. Rolex’s Wimbledon history records that milestone; the date, opponent and score are also documented in Getty’s original photograph caption.

A trophy photograph compresses an entire match into a single frame. The score is settled, the racket is no longer doing the work and the objects around the player take on a different significance. For a watch enthusiast, that is often where another story begins.

A Datejust with a place in the story

Esquire identifies the watch associated with Federer’s 2009 victory as the Rolex Datejust II reference 116334. It describes a 41 mm case, silver dial, fluted bezel and prominent Arabic numerals. That identification comes from its reporting, rather than an attempt to read a reference number from this archive photograph.

Rolex Datejust II reference 116334 with a light rhodium dial, blue Arabic numerals and a fluted bezel
Rolex Datejust II 116334, shown in a catalogue photograph from the Superwatchman watch library. This illustrates the model and dial configuration; it is not a photograph of Federer’s personal watch.

Why the moment matters to collectors

Consider two examples of the same watch: identical references, similar condition, the same dial. On paper, there may be little to separate them. To their owners, they can mean entirely different things. One marks a first job. Another recalls a wedding, a journey or someone who is no longer here.

That is the appeal of looking back at a photograph like this. It invites a question beyond price and specifications: what would make a watch worth keeping? The answer need not be a championship. An ordinary day can become the date by which its owner remembers an extraordinary change.

Federer’s association with Rolex also belongs in the context of the image. He is a brand ambassador, and Rolex has served as Wimbledon’s Official Timepiece since 1978. The commercial relationship is part of the background; the match result is part of sporting history. Neither needs to be confused with the other.

For us, the lasting interest lies in that meeting of object and occasion. A watch tells the time. With enough life around it, it can also tell you where you were.

Editorial sources: Getty Images / Paul Gilham, 5 July 2009; Rolex, Wimbledon history; Rolex, Roger Federer; Esquire, watch identification. This is an archive feature, not a report of a new match or release.

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