Footballer Robin Van Persie spotted wearing a Rolex

Robin Van Persie was caught on camera during his punditry duties covering Arsenal's clash with Manchester United — a match that will forever carry extra weight for the Dutchman who lit up the Premier League for both clubs. On his wrist sat one of Rolex's most coveted everyday references: the GMT-Master II 126710BLRO, complete with its distinctive red-and-blue 'Pepsi' bezel and the elegant five-link Jubilee bracelet.

Introduced in 2018, the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126710BLRO represented a genuine turning point in the GMT lineage. For the first time since the aluminium-insert era of the 1950s and '60s, Rolex reunited the Pepsi colour scheme — now executed in scratch-resistant Cerachrom ceramic — with a Jubilee bracelet rather than the Oyster. The 40mm Oystersteel case houses Rolex's in-house Calibre 3285, a movement featuring the Chronergy escapement, Parachrom hairspring, and a 70-hour power reserve — a meaningful upgrade over the Calibre 3186 it replaced. A independently settable 24-hour GMT hand allows the wearer to track a second time zone at a glance, rotating within the bi-colour bezel graduated for AM/PM distinction.

From a collector standpoint, the 126710BLRO occupies a unique position. The Pepsi bezel is historically the most emotionally resonant GMT configuration — associated with Pan Am pilots, global travel, and the original 1955 ref. 6542 — while the Jubilee bracelet adds a dressy, vintage-inflected character that the sports-leaning Oyster bracelet cannot match. Waitlists at authorised dealers remain lengthy, making grey-market premiums a persistent reality.

Van Persie's transition from one of Europe's most clinical forwards into a composed, articulate media presence has been seamless. A man who once scored a stunning volley against Arsenal for Manchester United knows both sides of this rivalry intimately, and the GMT-Master II — a watch built for those who cross time zones and borders — fits the profile of a globally travelled football figure naturally.

At UK list price of £7,750, the 126710BLRO sits at the accessible end of the luxury sports watch market on paper. In practice, grey-market premiums regularly push transaction prices toward $14,000–$16,000 USD, reflecting demand that authorised dealer allocations have never been able to satisfy.