Actor Aaron Paul spotted wearing a Rolex

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston — the Jesse Pinkman and Walter White of television history — were recently photographed together, and sharp eyes caught that both men were wearing the same watch: the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 in coral red, reference 124300-0007. It is the kind of detail that rewards the attentive observer and says something deliberate about the friendship between two men who clearly still share a taste for the finer things.

Rolex introduced the new-generation Oyster Perpetual 41 at Watches & Wonders 2020, refreshing one of its oldest and purest lineages with a set of bold lacquered dials that caught the industry off guard. The 124300 houses the calibre 3230, a manufacture movement featuring the Chronergy escapement for improved efficiency, Parachrom hairspring for shock and magnetic resistance, and a 70-hour power reserve. The 41 mm Oystersteel case is paired with an Oyster bracelet and Oysterclasp, water-resistant to 100 metres — a clean, tool-watch architecture that has defined the line since 1945.

The coral red dial variant, reference 124300-0007, became an instant collector obsession. Rolex quietly pulled it from production within roughly two years of launch, citing no official reason. That discontinuation transformed a steel watch with a list price in the mid-four-figures into a grey-market phenomenon, with examples trading well above $15,000 at peak demand — multiples of retail. Among the coloured Oyster Perpetual references introduced in 2020, the coral red consistently commands the highest secondary-market premiums, rivalling far more complicated pieces from the same catalogue.

Aaron Paul has built a public persona rooted in authenticity, and the Oyster Perpetual fits that register precisely. It carries no complications, no precious metal, no tourbillon — just a well-engineered automatic movement inside an immediately recognisable case. That the Breaking Bad co-stars both own the same discontinued reference suggests the choice was not accidental.

On the current grey market, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 coral red ref. 124300-0007 trades at approximately $20,000, a substantial premium over its original retail price. Demand remains firm given the discontinued status and the watch's cultural visibility. Collectors seeking an entry point into Rolex's coloured dial chapter will find this reference among the most compelling — and, now, most conspicuous — examples in the modern catalogue.