Footballer Granit Xhaka spotted wearing a Rolex

Granit Xhaka, the Swiss international midfielder completing his summer move to Arsenal FC, was photographed wearing a Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116718LN — a full yellow gold sports watch that sits firmly at the top tier of the GMT family.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 116718LN is built entirely in 18k yellow gold, paired with a black monochromatic Cerachrom bezel — ceramic that is virtually scratch-proof and UV-resistant, holding its colour indefinitely. Inside beats the Calibre 3186, a COSC-certified movement with Rolex's proprietary Parachrom hairspring offering ten times greater resistance to magnetic fields than conventional alloys. The bi-directional independent GMT hand allows a second time zone to be tracked independently of the local hour hand — a complication born in the 1950s for Pan Am pilots and still relevant to anyone crossing time zones regularly, including a footballer on a heavy European fixture schedule.

The 116718LN debuted in the mid-2000s and represented Rolex's premium all-gold take on the GMT sport reference. Its 40mm case predates the 2019 generation expansion to 40.2mm found in the successor 126718GRNR. Since Rolex discontinued the 116718LN, demand among collectors has strengthened considerably. The combination of yellow gold and an all-black bezel is a bolder, less conventional choice than the more traditional two-tone bezels, giving the piece a distinctive presence on the wrist that rewards those who know what they are looking at.

Xhaka has long been one of the Bundesliga and Premier League's more technically complete midfielders, and his watch choice reflects a considered rather than flashy sensibility — yellow gold is unambiguously luxurious, but the black bezel keeps the dial composition restrained. It is a watch that signals success without needing to shout.

On the grey market, the Rolex GMT-Master II 116718LN continues to command a premium above its original retail price, sustained by the model's discontinuation and the enduring appetite for solid gold Rolex sports references. Buyers prepared to source pre-owned examples will find pricing comfortably above the original UK list of £22,200, reflecting the reference's growing collector status.