Actor Malaika Arora spotted wearing a Rolex

Malaika Arora, one of India's most recognisable faces in fashion and entertainment, was recently photographed with a Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116710LN on her wrist — a choice that signals serious horological taste beneath the celebrity gloss. The sighting adds the Indian actress and model to a growing list of style icons who prefer the quiet authority of a finely engineered sport watch over more overtly decorative jewellery pieces.

Introduced at Baselworld 2007, the GMT-Master II ref. 116710LN represented a significant step forward for the line. Rolex fitted it with the Calibre 3186, a manufacture movement beating at 28,800 vph with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring for enhanced shock and magnetic resistance, and a Paraflex shock absorber system. The 40mm Oyster case in 904L Oystersteel pairs with a unidirectional rotatable 24-hour graduated Cerachrom bezel in black ceramic — virtually scratch-proof and colourfast. The black dial with luminescent Chromalight plots and a Jubilee bracelet complete a package that is simultaneously professional instrument and refined dress watch.

The 116710LN occupies a revered position among GMT-Master collectors. It was the first GMT-Master II to feature a Cerachrom ceramic bezel, replacing the aluminium insert of earlier references, and it remained in production until 2019 when it was superseded by the ref. 126710LN with the upgraded Calibre 3285. That generational handover has made the 116710LN a definitive transitional reference — modern enough in movement and materials, yet already carrying the patina of a completed chapter in Rolex history.

Malaika Arora is no stranger to luxury goods, regularly featuring in India's most-watched fashion coverage. Her choice of the GMT-Master II rather than a more predictably feminine Rolex — say, a Lady-Datejust or a gem-set Pearlmaster — speaks to a confident, considered approach to personal style. The 116710LN wears well on a variety of wrist sizes despite its sport DNA.

At an official retail price of approximately $9,550 USD when it was still listed, the 116710LN now changes hands on the secondary market at significant premiums. Grey-market values have stabilised somewhat following the introduction of its successor, but strong demand for the ceramic-bezel generation keeps prices elevated, making it both a wearable daily watch and a sound collector asset.