Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Adriano spotted wearing Rolex

Adriano, the Brazilian striker nicknamed 'L'Imperatore' during his dominant years at Inter Milan, was recently spotted wearing a Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116718LN — a 40mm solid 18k yellow gold piece with a distinctive green dial and black bezel insert. The sighting is a natural fit: few watches command attention quite like this one, and few footballers of Adriano's era commanded a penalty box quite like he did.

The Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 116718LN sits at the summit of the GMT-Master family's pre-2019 catalogue. The case and bracelet are crafted entirely in 18k yellow gold, measuring 40mm in diameter with a 12mm lug-to-lug thickness typical of the era. The black Cerachrom bezel insert contrasts sharply against the green sunburst dial, creating one of the more visually striking dial-bezel combinations Rolex has offered. Inside runs the Calibre 3186, a movement featuring a Parachrom hairspring for improved shock and magnetic resistance, a bidirectional self-winding rotor, and a 48-hour power reserve — entirely in-house manufacture, as expected from Geneva.

From a collector's standpoint, the 116718LN occupies an interesting position. It was never a quiet piece — yellow gold GMT-Masters appeal to a specific, confident buyer — but its discontinuation in favour of the updated 126718GRNR (with Calibre 3285 and redesigned Jubilee bracelet option) has sharpened interest in the reference on the secondary market. The combination of full yellow gold and green dial makes the 116718LN particularly desirable among collectors who favour the earlier, slightly sportier aesthetic of the 3186-era GMT-Masters.

Adriando's watch choices reflect a taste for statement pieces befitting his career. The four-time Serie A Scudetto winner with Inter Milan and the man behind some of the most spectacular long-range left-footed goals of the 2000s earned his imperial nickname through sheer footballing force. A yellow gold Rolex — retail-priced at $33,250 USD — is entirely in character.

On the grey market, the 116718LN trades at a premium above retail, reflecting both the intrinsic value of the yellow gold construction and collector demand for discontinued references. Buyers seeking this specific green-dial configuration should expect to navigate a thinning secondary market supply as examples are absorbed into long-term collections.