Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Lionel Messi spotted wearing Rolex

Lionel Messi has been photographed wearing one of the more quietly coveted references in Rolex's recent catalogue: the Oyster Perpetual 41 in stainless steel with a vivid yellow lacquer dial, reference 124300. The sighting adds another chapter to Messi's well-documented relationship with Swiss watchmaking, and this particular choice is more considered than it might first appear.

Rolex introduced the ref. 124300 in 2020 as a refresh of the entry-level Oyster Perpetual line, bumping the case diameter to 41mm and fitting it with the brand's then-new calibre 3230. That movement — a direct descendant of the calibre 3135 but with Chronergy escapement technology and a 70-hour power reserve — represents genuine in-house engineering refinement, not simply a cosmetic update. The Oyster case, rated to 100 metres water resistance, is paired with an Oyster bracelet featuring the Easylink comfort extension system. It is, on paper and in practice, a complete watch.

The yellow dial version became the breakout star of the 124300 range almost immediately. Its saturated lacquer finish was bold by Rolex standards, and collectors who had grown accustomed to the brand's conservative palette took notice. When Rolex quietly discontinued the colourful dial variants from the 124300 lineup in 2023, demand crystallised overnight. A watch that retailed at approximately $6,150 USD now trades at nearly three and a half times that figure on the secondary market — a premium that reflects genuine scarcity rather than speculative noise.

Messi's affinity for Rolex is well established. He has been spotted across multiple references over the years, favouring the brand's clean, unflashy aesthetic even as his fame has attracted associations with far more ostentatious marques. Choosing the yellow dial OP 41 suggests either sharp collector instinct or a personal connection to the dial colour — both plausible given his track record.

On the grey market, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 yellow dial ref. 124300 currently commands around $20,500 USD, a figure that has held firm since discontinuation. For collectors, the combination of a high-complication movement, iconic case architecture, and now-confirmed scarcity makes the 124300 in yellow one of the more rational secondary-market buys in steel Rolex today.