Good sport

American-football star – and Mr Gisele Bündchen – Tom Brady on keeping fit at 41, his first timepiece and having fun with fashion

To the left, Philip Green’s colossal yacht Lionheart sits in prime position in Monaco’s harbour, while to the right, helicopters buzz overhead, depositing the world’s super-rich into this Disney World of decadence on the Côte d’azur. But Tom Brady, Americanfootball player and Tag Heuer ambassador – in town for the Grand Prix, which is sponsored by the Swiss house – isn’t one for popping champagne corks and revelling in the glorious excess of it all. ‘I’ve just come from the gym,’ he says, a picture of preppy freshness in his pristine whites against the florals and metallics that are the Monégasque uniform.

His regime is stringent and policed by a team of nutritionists and chefs – he never drinks alcohol or caffeine and doesn’t touch gluten or dairy. Is he as disciplined while travelling? ‘It’s about choices I guess… you have to be more flexible, but I’m still very conscious,’ says the New England Patriots quarterback, who is one of only two people to have won five Super Bowls. ‘I’m always training in one way or another; often it’s about maintaining a level of fitness.’

Certainly, at 41 he could well be a decade younger, and looks the picture of allamerican wholesomeness. A happy marriage, then, with Tag Heuer, known as the most athletic of watch brands thanks to its motor-racing history. ‘It was that sporting heritage that appealed to me; they never deviate from it and that’s important. Tag Heuer doesn’t follow trends. It sticks to what it does best,’ Brady says. And like many men, when his first big paycheck landed he went out to buy a timepiece. ‘The first watch I ever owned was a [Tag Heuer] Carrera 2001,’ he says. ‘Watches interest me because as men, they’re a rare chance to indulge in something decorative… I finally had a few bucks in my pocket and decided it was time to treat myself.’

Those bucks have multiplied significantly; Brady’s wealth has been estimated at $180 million. But his life with his Brazilian supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen is decidedly low-key, in relatively off-the-radar Boston. ‘We also have a home in Costa Rica, a quiet place in a little beach town, and we spend a lot of time in winter skiing in Montana.’

Does Bündchen – who coaxed Brady into an embroidered Versace tuxedo to complement her gown for this year’s Met Gala – have firm opinions on his wardrobe? ‘My wife’s pretty relaxed about what I wear, to be honest. It was fun to dress up at the Met in something a bit more high-fashion and costumey, because I’m normally in sportswear.’

Still, being married to one of the most beautiful women in the world has its pitfalls. ‘She gets exasperated because whenever she asks how she looks, I always say great, but she does! She’s given up asking I think,’ he laughs.

Meanwhile, the party over on Green’s yacht is reaching fever pitch, as are the paparazzi boats zipping around it, but Brady is working to a schedule, casting an eye to his watch. ‘Time to get going,’ he says, and he’s off, leaving the rest of Monaco to its bacchanalia; he’s more into juice cleanses than Jimmy’z nightclub anyway. tagheuer.com