Basketball player Russell Westbrook spotted wearing a Rolex

During a high-profile GQ editorial shoot featuring Houston Rockets teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Westbrook was captured wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in 18K yellow gold — a sighting that underscores the NBA's enduring love affair with serious horology. The setting, a glamorous production rich in custom tailoring and bespoke styling, made the watch choice all the more deliberate.

The reference in question is the 116518LN, introduced at Baselworld 2016 as part of Rolex's push to bring the Cerachrom bezel — previously reserved for sport references in steel or two-tone — into the Daytona's precious-metal lineup. The 40mm 18K yellow gold case houses the in-house caliber 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch that Rolex developed specifically for the Daytona line, offering a power reserve of approximately 72 hours and certified Superlative Chronometer accuracy of ±2 seconds per day. The black Cerachrom bezel insert is scratch-resistant, virtually impervious to UV fading, and engraved with a tachymeter scale — functional motorsport heritage rendered in ceramic.

The champagne dial with black subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock is one of the most requested configurations on this reference, nodding to the contrast-register aesthetics that made vintage Daytonas collector icons. The Oysterflex strap — a titanium and nickel alloy blade over-molded with black elastomer — replaces the traditional Oyster bracelet and gives the watch a notably sportier, more relaxed wrist presence without sacrificing structural rigidity.

Westbrook is one of the NBA's most documented fashion risk-takers, regularly collaborating with luxury houses and fronting campaigns that blur athletic and high-fashion identity. A Daytona in yellow gold fits his wardrobe logic precisely: recognizable enough to communicate status, technically credible enough to satisfy connoisseurs.

On the secondary market, the 116518LN in champagne/black configuration commands a meaningful premium over its $28,500 list price, with grey-market transactions frequently clearing $35,000–$38,000 depending on condition and papers. For a yellow-gold Daytona with ceramic bezel, that represents relatively accessible entry into Rolex's precious-metal chronograph tier.