Today's offering showcases this special custom-made Swiss watch presented to Pelé by FIFA's South American confederation CONMEBOL. In 2010 Conmebol compiled the Career Legacy Top 100 list and celebrated the different players throughout the year. Pelé is frequently regarded as the greatest soccer player of all time.

The watch has been safely stored since that time in its box that bears Pelé's name. It is accompanied by a 2010 official identification credential from former CONMEBOL Secretary General Eduardo Deluca. The late Mr. Deluca was a powerful Argentine sports leader who served as secretary general of Conmebol for many years.

The dial of this quartz watch is emblazoned with the flags of the 10 countries governed by CONMEBOL. Its gold-tone and steel case is full size, measuring 40mm in diameter, the same size as a Rolex sports watch.

One of our Master Watchmakers has installed a new battery making it ready for immediate enjoyment; otherwise it has been left untouched in its plastic. Included with the purchase is a one-year C.O.T. international warranty on the movement.

Accompanying it is a Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance from a well-known auction house and a Certificate of Authenticity from Connoisseur of Time.

Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to own a watch presented to soccer legend Pelé.

Pelé:
Labeled "the greatest" by FIFA, Pelé was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. He has often been called the "Michael Jordan" of soccer.

In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, Pelé was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognised as a Guinness World Record.

Among his contemporaries, Dutch star Johan Cruyff stated, "Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic." Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto Torres opined: "His great secret was improvisation. Those things he did were in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game." According to Tostão, his strike partner at the 1970 World Cup: "Pelé was the greatest – he was simply flawless. And off the pitch he is always smiling and upbeat. You never see him bad-tempered. He loves being Pelé."

His Brazilian teammate Clodoaldo commented on the adulation he witnessed: "In some countries they wanted to touch him, in some they wanted to kiss him. In others they even kissed the ground he walked on. I thought it was beautiful, just beautiful." According to Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany's 1974 World Cup-winning captain: Pelé is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. There's no one to compare with him."

Since retiring, Pelé has continued to be lauded by players, coaches, journalists and others. Brazilian attacking midfielder Zico, who represented Brazil at the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup, stated: "This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There's only one possible answer: Pelé. He's the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add". French three-time Ballon d'Or winner Michel Platini said: "There's Pelé the man, and then Pelé the player. And to play like Pelé is to play like God."

Real Madrid honorary president and former player, Alfredo Di Stéfano, opined: "The best player ever? Pelé. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better".

Presenting Pelé the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award, former South African president Nelson Mandela said, "To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full."

BBC article: Pele at 80: Where does he rank among the GOATs?

New York Times article: On Team of All-Time Greats, Pelé Shines Brightest

Connoisseur of Time Celebrity Collection:
I'm excited to have launched a collection that is composed of 62 watches owned by 36 iconic celebrities and public figures. It may be the largest current collection of celebrity-owned watches in the world. It will be constantly changing and is currently headlined by watches and clocks owned by some of the most legendary Hollywood actors and actresses, musicians, comedians, and entertainers:

The King, Elvis Presley. (Just sold)

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

The King of Comedy, Jerry Lewis.

The Artist Formerly Known as Prince

Hollywood icons Steve Martin, Burt Reynolds, Betty White, Olivia Newton-John, Bob Hope, Greta Garbo, and Mickey Rooney.

Legendary musicians Johnny Cash, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Kenny Rogers, Don Mclean, Leslie West, and Hank Williams, Jr.

Sports great and soccer legend Pelé, heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey, Yankee great Lefty Gomez, and Green Bay Packer Mike Bucchianeri along with the game ball, signed photo and watch from the college football "all star" Blue Gray Game in 1940.

Further filling the current collection are watches from King Edward VIII and the Duchess of Windsor, beloved Hollywood host Ed Sullivan, Academy award-winning actresses Loretta Young and Doris Day, Emmy award-winning actress Valerie Harper, renowned illusionists Siegfried & Roy, Phyllis McGuire of the chart-topping McGuire sisters, Elvira Mistress of the Dark (Cassandra Peterson), and fashion designer to the stars Nolan Miller.

It also includes rare watches given by heads of state: A prototype 18K gold Buren Microrotor gifted by His Royal Majesty Ibn Saud, former King of Saudi Arabia; a Felsa given by former Libyan Colonel and Head of State Muammar Al Qathafi; a Longines given by Highness Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa former Prime Minister of the State of Bahrain; a Baume & Mercier gifted by the King of Jordan. All three watches are new-old-stock in presentation shadow box frames with photos.

Recently sold was a watch given a handful of years after the Civil War concluded by the Vice President Elect to honor an Army commander who went on to receive the Medal of Honor.

This is a significant, exciting, and constantly changing new collection you won't want to miss! Stay tuned over the coming weeks for photos of other special pieces from the collection!

To view the first few already up for sale follow this link: https://shop.connoisseuroftime.com/collections/our-celebrity-owned-historical-event-watches?page=1&sort_by=created-descending

• Country of origin: Switzerland
• Brand: Swiss Made
• Serial no.: Numered 129 in a limited edition of 300.
• Functions:  Hours, Minutes, Sweep Seconds
• Case material: Gold tone and steel
• Case condition: As new with plastic covering the crystal and back
• Dimensions: 40mm diameter (excluding crown) by 47mm long
• Dial: White, emblazoned with the flags of the 10 South American countries governed by CONMEBOL, signed CONMEBOL, outer minutes/seconds track, as new
• Hands: Original, faceted gold dauphines
• Movement type: Swiss made quartz movement
• Band: Crocodile, fully stitched, padded
• Crystal: Glass, as new
• Servicing: One of our Master Watchmakers has installed a new making it ready for immediate enjoyment - otherwise the watch has been left untouched. Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center and also has done authorized work for the Richemont brands including Cartier, Vacheron & Constantin, IWC, JLC and others.
• Warranty: 1-year international warranty. Please email concierge@cotwatches.com for details.
• Box/Papers: BOX - Original box with Pele's name; PAPERS - Custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity; Certificate of Authenticity and Provenance from a well-known auction house; Watch's original guarantee certificate; Credential of former CONMEBOL Secretary General Eduardo Deluca
• Returns: 7 days full refund. 100% satisfaction guarantee

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all of our watches. If you are in any way unsatisfied with the watch we will fully refund the purchase price anytime within 7 days after the watch has been received. Our goal is to exceed our client's expectations throughout the buying experience.

All watches are packaged carefully and mailed double boxed in specially constructed, reinforced shipping boxes designed for high value items. All watches are sent fully insured with signature required. Most of our domestic shipping is done through FedEx. At times we will also use USPS Express Mail, and we can accommodate most requests for your preferred carrier. International shipments are sent USPS International Express Mail or FedEx.

The purchase price will be the declared value of the merchandise on any required customs forms. The payment of all customs duties, tariffs, and taxes are the responsibility of the buyer.

Also note that water resistance of vintage watches can no longer be guaranteed and is not covered under the watch's warranty. We do not recommend getting a vintage watch wet, even one that was originally designed to be waterproof.

To get an idea of how this watch will look on the wrist, please use the Watch Sizing Guide