Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Hakan Çalhanoglu spotted wearing Rolex

Hakan Çalhanoglu, one of European football's most technically refined midfielders, was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Sky-Dweller Ref. 326935 — the Everose gold variant paired with a chocolate dial and Arabic numeral hour markers. The combination is notable not just for its aesthetics but for its production status: Rolex has discontinued this specific configuration, quietly elevating its appeal among collectors who track dial variants as closely as reference numbers.

The Sky-Dweller is the most mechanically complex watch in Rolex's current catalogue. The Ref. 326935 houses the Calibre 9001, a self-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve, annual calendar, and a dual time zone display — the latter rendered through a 24-hour disc at 9 o'clock. What makes the Sky-Dweller system distinctive is the Ring Command bezel, which uses the rotating bezel as a mechanical interface to switch between three setting modes without pulling the crown. It's an engineering solution that required Rolex to file 14 patents upon the watch's debut at Baselworld 2012.

The Everose gold case of Ref. 326935 measures 42mm — generous but proportionate to the dial's complexity. The chocolate sunray finish pairs naturally with the warm rose-gold tone, and the Arabic numeral indices add a dressy, slightly retro character that distinguishes this dial from the more common stick-index versions. That specific dial configuration — chocolate with Arabics — has not been carried forward in current production, which means the only way to acquire one now is through the pre-owned or grey market.

Çalhanoglu, who has built a reputation for precision and intelligence both on and off the pitch, is an established watch enthusiast. His choice of a technically layered, aesthetically understated piece — rather than a flashier sports reference — aligns with how many professional footballers with genuine horological interest tend to dress their wrists away from the cameras.

On the secondary market, the Rolex Sky-Dweller Ref. 326935 in this dial configuration commands a premium over its original retail positioning. Listed at approximately €40,100 when new, examples in good condition with box and papers are now trading above retail, reflecting both the general buoyancy of the Rolex pre-owned market and the added scarcity of the discontinued dial variant.