Watch Paparazzi

Singer Macklemore spotted wearing Rolex

Macklemore, the Grammy-winning Seattle rapper behind 'Thrift Shop' and 'Can't Hold Us,' was recently spotted on the wrist-watch radar wearing one of Rolex's most historically significant dress watches — the Day-Date 36 in 18K yellow gold with a diamond bezel, reference 228348RBR. Far from a random flex, the choice signals a genuine understanding of what sits at the apex of the Swiss watchmaker's catalog.

The Rolex Day-Date 228348RBR runs on the in-house Caliber 3255, introduced in 2015 and representing one of the most significant movement overhauls in the model's history. The self-winding manufacture movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve, and incorporates Rolex's Chronergy escapement — a nickel-phosphorus lever and escape wheel system that improves energy efficiency by roughly 15 percent over its predecessor. The movement holds Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) certification and meets Rolex's own more stringent Superlative Chronometer standard of ±2 seconds per day.

The Day-Date itself debuted in 1956 as the first wristwatch to display the full day of the week in addition to the date — a complication Rolex has never made available to any other manufacturer. It was also the first Rolex to be offered exclusively in precious metals. The 228348RBR sits within the current 36mm generation, which replaced the long-running 118000-series references when Rolex refreshed the line with the new caliber. The factory diamond bezel — set with 36 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling approximately 1.78 carats — is applied directly at the manufacture, distinguishing it from aftermarket stone-set pieces that carry significantly lower collector esteem.

For collectors, the Day-Date remains the definitional presidential watch, its nickname 'The President' derived from its association with Eisenhower and subsequent heads of state. The 228348RBR occupies a sweet spot: visually arresting but rooted in one of the most defensible horological legacies in the industry.

Macklemore's sartorial choices have always carried a deliberate, layered quality — and this Rolex Day-Date 36 reference 228348RBR is no different. At an official retail price of $55,350, it trades on the secondary market at or above retail given constrained authorized-dealer availability, making it as sound a financial decision as it is a stylistic one.