Watch Paparazzi

Football manager Leonardo Semplici spotted wearing Rolex

Leonardo Semplici, the Italian football manager who guided SPAL through back-to-back promotions into Serie A, was recently photographed on the wrist with one of the most recognisable references in contemporary horology: the Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batman', reference 126710BLNR, fitted on its Jubilee bracelet.

Introduced by Rolex at Baselworld 2019, the 126710BLNR represents the current-generation GMT-Master II in Oystersteel. It houses the calibre 3285, a movement developed entirely in-house at Rolex, featuring a Chronergy escapement — a patented design offering roughly 15 percent greater energy efficiency than a conventional lever escapement — along with a Parachrom hairspring and a 70-hour power reserve. The 40 mm Oyster case pairs with a bidirectional rotatable 24-hour graduated bezel set with a black-and-blue Cerachrom insert: the ceramic combination that earned the watch its enduring 'Batman' moniker when the colour scheme debuted on the reference 116710BLNR back in 2013. The shift to Jubilee on the 126710BLNR marked a meaningful departure from the Oyster bracelet of its predecessor, lending a dressier, more versatile character to what had always been a tool watch at heart.

Among collectors, the GMT-Master II 126710BLNR occupies a singular position. It combines true sports-watch provenance — the GMT complication was born in 1955 for Pan Am pilots — with day-to-day wearability and arguably the most visually striking bezel in the current Rolex lineup. Waiting lists at authorised dealers remain substantial, keeping the reference firmly in grey-market premium territory years after its launch.

For Semplici, a coach whose career has taken him from the lower rungs of Italian football to the top flight, the GMT-Master II is a fitting choice: functional, internationally legible, and quietly authoritative. The Jubilee configuration in particular suits the dual identity of a man equally comfortable in a technical dugout and a post-match press conference.

At an official list price of approximately $9,550 USD, the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLNR trades significantly above retail on the secondary market, reflecting persistent demand that authorised dealer allocations have never come close to satisfying.