Watch Paparazzi

Comedian Kevin Hart spotted wearing Rolex

Kevin Hart has built a reputation as one of Hollywood's most serious watch collectors, and a recent sighting confirms he continues to operate at the top of the market. The comedian was spotted wearing the Rolex Day-Date II reference 218398BR — a fully factory-set gem piece in 18K yellow gold that represents Rolex at its most unapologetically opulent.

The Day-Date II, introduced in 2008 as a larger successor to the original 1956 Day-Date, measures 41mm in diameter and houses Rolex's in-house calibre 3156 automatic movement, offering a 48-hour power reserve, a Parachrom hairspring for magnetic resistance, and Rolex's Paraflex shock absorbers for durability. The reference 218398 denotes the base 18K yellow gold case and President bracelet configuration, while the 'BR' suffix signals the baguette-set diamond bezel variant. Rolex's lapidary workshop in Geneva hand-sets 80 baguette-cut diamonds into the fluted bezel channel, a process that demands exceptional precision given the geometric uniformity baguette stones require. Eight additional baguette diamonds serve as hour indices, and two baguette rubies — placed at 9 and 6 o'clock — add a chromatic counterpoint that elevates the dial from mere luxury into high jewellery territory.

Within the collector community, factory gem-set Day-Date references occupy a distinct and respected niche. Unlike aftermarket diamond dials and bezels — which remain common and significantly reduce resale value — Rolex-certified stone-set references retain provenance and command serious premiums on the secondary market. The 218398BR is one of the rarer baguette configurations, and finding examples in unworn condition is increasingly difficult as production of the Day-Date II has since been superseded by the Day-Date 40 generation.

Hart's affinity for Rolex is well documented — he has been photographed in Daytona references, Sky-Dwellers, and various gem-set pieces — but the 218398BR sits among the most complex and costly in his documented rotation. It is the kind of watch that signals not just wealth, but a deliberate understanding of where Rolex's catalogue peaks.

At a UK list price of approximately £82,000, this configuration translates to well over $100,000 USD at retail — and grey-market demand for unworn examples of the Day-Date II baguette references has only intensified since the model's discontinuation, with prices regularly exceeding list among serious collectors.