Watch Paparazzi

Actor Will Ferrell spotted wearing Rolex

Will Ferrell was recently photographed wearing the Rolex Yacht-Master 42 in 18k white gold, reference 226659, paired with the brand's signature OysterFlex bracelet — a sighting that confirms the comedian and actor has taste that runs considerably more refined than his on-screen personas might suggest.

The Yacht-Master 42 ref. 226659 sits at the upper tier of the Yacht-Master family, a line Rolex launched in 1992 as a sportier, nautically themed counterpart to the Submariner. The 42mm case is crafted entirely in 18k white gold — not stainless steel, not Rolesor — which places it in rarefied company even within Rolex's own catalog. The bidirectional rotatable bezel features a raised platinum hour scale set into a white gold ring, offering tactile grip and a subtle tonal contrast that rewards close inspection. Powering the watch is the in-house Calibre 3235, a third-generation movement featuring the Chronergy escapement, a paramagnetic lever and escape wheel, and a 70-hour power reserve — one of the most robust and technically advanced movements Rolex currently produces.

The OysterFlex bracelet deserves particular mention. It replaces a traditional metal bracelet with a high-performance elastomer strap mounted on a flexible metal blade insert, providing the comfort of rubber with the structural rigidity of metal. On an all-white-gold watch, the combination reads as modern and considered rather than sportily casual.

Among collectors, the ref. 226659 occupies an interesting position: it is not the hype-driven stainless steel sports model that dominates auction headlines, but a low-production precious-metal piece that attracts buyers who have already exhausted the sport-watch conversation. Its appeal is durability of desirability — white gold Yacht-Masters do not spike and crash with trend cycles.

Ferrell has been spotted in serious watches before, and the Yacht-Master 42 ref. 226659 fits a pattern: large-dialed, wrist-filling, but grounded in genuine horological substance. At a list price of approximately $30,500 and a grey-market value tracking closely to retail, this is one of the rare current Rolex references where the secondary market has not run away from reality — a watch bought to be worn, not flipped.