Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Tinnie Tempah spotted wearing Rolex

Tinie Tempah, the London-born rapper and fashion-forward personality known for blending streetwear with genuine luxury, was recently spotted wearing one of Rolex's most singular dive watches: the Submariner Date in 18kt white gold, reference 116619LB. The sighting is notable not simply because of the watch's price point, but because of what the reference actually represents within the Submariner canon.

The Rolex Submariner 116619LB was introduced in 2008 as part of Rolex's move to in-house Cerachrom ceramic bezels. Unlike its yellow or Everose gold siblings, this reference uses 18kt white gold throughout — case, bracelet, and crown — paired with a deep blue sunburst dial with luminous index hour markers and a matching blue ceramic bezel insert graduated to 60 minutes. The watch measures 40mm and runs on the Rolex Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and COSC-certified chronometric precision. The Oyster case is rated water-resistant to 300 metres.

Within the collector community, the 116619LB occupies a fascinating position. It is the only full white-gold Submariner in production — yellow gold has the 116618, Everose has the 116655 in the no-date configuration — making it a genuine rarity in a reference family that typically trades on accessibility. The blue-on-white-gold combination is widely regarded as the more restrained and sophisticated of the precious-metal Subs, and it consistently commands attention at auction and in grey-market trading rooms.

Tinie Tempah's watch choices have historically leaned toward statement pieces with genuine horological substance. The 116619LB fits squarely in that tradition — it reads as bold without requiring explanation to anyone who knows what they're looking at. For a performer whose personal style regularly lands him on best-dressed lists, the white gold Submariner is a coherent and considered choice.

On the retail market, the Rolex Submariner Date 116619LB carries a list price of approximately $45,650 USD. On the secondary market, demand for precious-metal Rolex sports references has remained firm, with the 116619LB trading at a modest premium over retail — typically in the $48,000–$55,000 range depending on condition and provenance — reflecting both its desirability and the relative scarcity of full white-gold Submariners reaching the open market.