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singerSpotted May 2023

Singer Kendji Girac spotted wearing a Rolex

singer Kendji Girac spotted wearing a Rolex
Who & what: Rolex GMT-Master II 'Coke' Stainless Steel Reference 16710 — Kendji Girac

French singer Kendji Girac, winner of The Voice France Season 3 and one of the country's most commercially successful artists of the past decade, was recently photographed wearing a Rolex GMT-Master II on his wrist. A close-up shot alongside the sighting confirms the piece as a reference 16710 in the 'Coke' configuration — the instantly recognisable black-and-red bidirectional bezel that gave this variant its nickname, drawn from the cola brand's signature colour palette.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 was produced from 1989 to 2007, housing the calibre 3185 automatic movement — a 28,800 vph workhorse with 50 hours of power reserve and a quick-set date mechanism. The 40mm steel Oyster case sits on an Oyster bracelet with a folding Oysterclasp, and the ref 16710 was the last GMT-Master II to feature an aluminium bezel insert rather than Rolex's later ceramic Cerachrom technology. That aluminium insert, paradoxically, is now a collector talking point: its slight vulnerability to fading has created a spectrum of 'tropical' variants that enthusiasts chase aggressively.

The 'Coke' bezel colourway shares the 16710 reference with the all-black 'Batman' predecessor and the black-and-red configuration seen here. Collector consensus places the Coke variant above the single-colour option in desirability, particularly examples with original, unfaded inserts in strong condition. It remains one of the last steel sports Rolexes to have retailed below $5,000 new — a fact that reads almost fictionally given today's grey market reality.

For Kendji Girac, the choice reflects an understated approach to watch collecting. Rather than gravitating toward the newer ceramic-bezel GMT-Master II references that dominate current celebrity sightings, he's wearing a piece with genuine horological pedigree and a production history that closed nearly two decades ago. It signals familiarity with the market rather than impulse purchasing.

On the secondary market, a clean Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 'Coke' with box and papers currently trades between $12,000 and $16,000 depending on condition, service history, and bezel insert integrity. No longer listed at retail, it occupies a compelling sweet spot: accessible enough for first-time luxury watch buyers, yet respected enough for serious collectors.

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