Watch Paparazzi

Musician DJ Khaled spotted wearing Rolex

DJ Khaled has never been subtle about his relationship with fine watchmaking, and his latest sighting confirms that the Miami-based producer continues to operate at the absolute ceiling of the Rolex catalogue. He was recently photographed wearing the platinum Rolex Day-Date 40 reference 228396TBR, one of the brand's most jewel-intensive factory references, fitted with a striking olive lacquer dial and Arabic numeral hour markers.

The Day-Date 40 was introduced in 2015 as the evolution of the original 1956 Day-Date — the first wristwatch to display both the date and the full day of the week spelled out. Reference 228396TBR sits at the pinnacle of the current generation, built on a 40mm case and bracelet crafted entirely from 950 platinum — a material Rolex reserves exclusively for Day-Date models as a mark of hierarchy within the line. The 'TBR' designation specifies a bezel set with trapezoid-cut baguette diamonds in a channel setting, requiring individual hand-selection and fitting of each stone to ensure continuous optical alignment. The case houses the in-house Calibre 3255, Rolex's current-generation movement featuring a Chronergy escapement, a 70-hour power reserve, and a silicon hairspring — representing the brand's most refined self-winding architecture to date.

The olive dial variant with Arabic numerals adds a layer of collector interest beyond the already rarefied platinum and diamond specification. Rolex has been quietly expanding its lacquer dial palette in recent years, and olive — sitting between military green and classic brown — has attracted significant attention among younger, aesthetically driven collectors who prize wearability alongside investment value. Arabic numerals replace the more common baton or Roman index, lending the dial a distinctly bold, almost graphic character.

Khaled's watch sensibility has long been anchored in Rolex's most statement-forward references. He has been documented wearing numerous Day-Date configurations, AP Royal Oaks, and custom-dialed pieces, but the 228396TBR represents a meaningful step — this is a watch that Rolex authorised dealers rarely display openly, and allocation is tightly controlled globally.

At a list price of approximately $115,000 USD, the 228396TBR is already one of Rolex's most expensive catalogue references. On the secondary market, demand for platinum Day-Date 40 models with factory diamond bezels and desirable dial variants has pushed grey-market valuations considerably higher, with the olive Arabic configuration currently trading well above $300,000 USD — a reflection of both scarcity and the sustained collector appetite for platinum Presidential references.