Watch Paparazzi

Singer Maluma spotted wearing Rolex

Maluma, the Colombian reggaeton and Latin pop star with over 65 million Instagram followers, was recently spotted on wrist with one of Rolex's most visually arresting references: the Yacht-Master 40 in 18k Everose gold with a rainbow sapphire bezel and full diamond pavé dial, reference 116695SATS. Few watches in the Rolex catalogue announce themselves quite this loudly, and on Maluma, the pairing looks entirely deliberate.

The Rolex Yacht-Master 116695SATS is built on the brand's in-house Calibre 2235 movement, a self-winding mechanism with a Parachrom hairspring offering superior resistance to magnetic fields and shocks, beating at 28,800 vph with a 48-hour power reserve. The 40mm Everose gold case — Rolex's proprietary rose gold alloy formulated to resist fading — carries a bidirectional rotatable bezel set with 26 baguette-cut natural sapphires graduating in colour from violet through blue, green, yellow, orange and red. The matching dial is fully set with brilliant-cut diamonds across its entire surface, replacing hour markers with individual stones. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres, and the piece rides on an Oyster bracelet with the Easylink 5mm comfort extension system.

From a collector standpoint, the 116695SATS occupies a peculiar position. Rolex purists — those who prize the brand's tool-watch heritage — tend to view rainbow gem-set references as peripheral. Yet in secondary market terms, the piece is anything but marginal. Its combination of precious metal, complex gem-setting and limited production numbers has consistently driven grey-market premiums well above retail. It is a watch that divides opinion cleanly between traditionalists and those who read horology through the lens of jewellery and personal expression.

Maluma has long established himself as a serious watch collector, with previous sightings encompassing Patek Philippe complications and Richard Mille sports models. His selection of the Yacht-Master 116695SATS is coherent with a collecting approach that prioritises visual impact alongside brand pedigree — the Rolex name carries the credibility while the rainbow bezel and pavé dial deliver the aesthetic drama.

At UK list price of approximately £95,000 — translating to roughly $120,000 USD at current rates — the Rolex Yacht-Master 116695SATS sits at the top tier of Rolex's retail range. On the grey market, demand from celebrity-influenced buyers and collectors in emerging luxury markets has historically pushed prices meaningfully above that figure, making this reference both a style statement and a relatively resilient asset.