Whether you like Shedeur Sanders or not — you’ve likely heard of him.

Opinions of Deion Sanders’ son, Shedeur Sanders, don’t matter as much as the massive attention he generates.

Marketing-wise, it’s better to be loved or hated than to be in the middle, because being unknown doesn’t sell tickets, television commercials, streaming packages, sponsorships, jerseys, and products (such as wristwatches).

With his famous first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame father, Deion, as the head coach, and Shedeur as the team’s starting quarterback, the Colorado Buffaloes rose to national prominence over the past two college football seasons.

Upon the arrival of the Sanders’ in 2023, games at Folsom Field went from empty to packed overnight.

Following a 1-8 record in 2022, Sanders and company, loaded with ex and future pros, resurrected Colorado’s Big 12 College Football program, quadrupling wins with a 4-8 record in 2023. Underscored by the 2023 arrival of prestigious live football program ESPN College GameDay in Boulder for the first time this century.

By 2024, the Buffaloes had generated an impressive record of 9-4, becoming bowl-eligible for the first time in four years, and one game away from making the College Football playoffs.

Thanks to the Sanders’, Travis Hunter (the 2024 Heisman winner and 2nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft), and numerous talented players and coaches, the Colorado Buffaloes were one of the most exciting college football teams to watch in 2024. Watch the ending of the 2024 Colorado vs Baylor game, which led to an epic overtime victory in the rain, and you’ll see why.

How did Shedeur start a celebratory trend for flexing his watch?

Shedeur may have a famous father who helped him get to where he’s at, but as the number 1-ranked NIL athlete in college sports in 2024 (which he earned), it’s clear he has the money to buy expensive cars and watches on his own.

Sanders first pulled out the watch flex, with a stainless steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 15500 (set with aftermarket diamonds), against Nebraska after players stepped on the Folsom Field Colorado logo during practice ahead of their 2023 game.

The following week, after a double overtime victory against Colorado State. In response to the Colorado State head coach, Jay Norvell, notably dissed Deion Sanders for wearing a hat and sunglasses before the game, insinuating his mother did not raise him right, and his QB son took it personally. “I was just waiting the whole time to put a watch on ‘em,” Sanders said in an interview after the game.

And now people, especially from younger generations, mimic the celebratory watch flex gesture, with or without the watch. The rest is history.

 

Photo by Getty Images, Arizona State, 2023.

Posted by:Jason Pitsch

Jason is a writer and photographer who founded Professional Watches to share his passion for watches.