Watch Paparazzi

Actor Tim Allen spotted wearing Rolex

Tim Allen was recently caught on camera with a serious piece of gold on his wrist: the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116718LN, the full 18k yellow gold iteration of Rolex's legendary dual-timezone traveller's watch. The sighting, shared via diamond retailer Diamonds East, places Allen firmly in the camp of collectors who appreciate the GMT-Master II not just as a tool watch, but as a statement in precious metal.

The 116718LN was introduced at Baselworld 2008, pairing an 18k yellow gold 40mm Oyster case with Rolex's then-new Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert in black. Unlike the bi-colour 'Root Beer' or 'Batman' variants, the 116718LN offers a monochromatic colour story: gold case, gold bracelet, black dial, black bezel. Inside sits the calibre 3186 — a 28,800 vph movement with Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers — offering a 48-hour power reserve and GMT hand independently adjustable in one-hour increments. The date display sits at 3 o'clock framed in a cyclops lens, standard for the generation.

From a collector standpoint, the 116718LN occupies an interesting position. Purists sometimes dismiss full-gold sports Rolexes as flashy rather than functional, but the 116718LN has aged well precisely because the ceramic bezel modernises the aesthetic. It was discontinued in 2019 when the GMT-Master II line transitioned to the 126718GRNR (the 'Sprite' in gold), which means the 116718LN is now a closed chapter — a detail that only strengthens its secondary market appeal.

Tim Allen has long been associated with mechanical precision — his passion for high-performance cars is well documented — so a tool watch in precious metal fits his profile: something built to a technical standard but worn without apology. The GMT-Master II in gold is exactly that kind of watch.

On the grey market, the 116718LN trades well above its original retail price. New-old-stock examples and full-set specimens command a meaningful premium, driven by the reference's discontinuation status and enduring name recognition. For a full-gold Rolex sports watch, it remains one of the more attainably priced entry points into the category.