Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Nicki Minaj spotted wearing Rolex

Nicki Minaj has never been shy about luxury accessories, and this candid photograph confirms her taste extends to serious horology. The rapper was spotted alongside a companion wearing what is clearly a Rolex Sky-Dweller in solid 18K yellow gold, the champagne Arabic-numeral dial and fluted yellow gold bezel leaving little room for ambiguity. The companion product image alongside the sighting confirms the match precisely.

The Rolex Sky-Dweller ref. 326938 is one of the most technically ambitious watches the Crown has ever produced. Introduced at Baselworld 2012, it contains the in-house calibre 9001, a self-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve, a Saros annual calendar that recognizes months of 30 and 31 days automatically requiring only one correction per year in February, and a GMT function displayed via an off-center 24-hour disc. The ring-change system — a patented rotating bezel that allows switching between setting modes — was an entirely new complication for Rolex. In solid 18K yellow gold with a 42mm Oyster case, the watch tips the scale at approximately 170 grams on the wrist.

Among collectors, the all-yellow-gold Sky-Dweller occupies a unique position: it is simultaneously Rolex's most complicated movement and its most traditional dressy aesthetic. The fluted bezel, Oyster bracelet, and champagne dial echo the Day-Date lineage, yet the caseback — one of only a handful of Rolex models with a display-back option in some iterations — houses genuine mechanical sophistication. The grey market has consistently kept this reference at or above retail, a testament to sustained demand.

Nicki Minaj's affinity for gold jewelry makes the Sky-Dweller 326938 a coherent choice rather than a fashion accident. The rapper has built a brand identity around unapologetic opulence, and a six-figure all-gold Rolex complication is precisely the kind of wrist statement that communicates seriousness within that aesthetic framework.

At retail, the Sky-Dweller 326938 in 18K yellow gold carries a U.S. list price in the high $40,000 range. On the secondary market, pre-owned examples in excellent condition regularly trade between $42,000 and $52,000 depending on box, papers, and service history — a premium over many comparably priced references, underlining the model's strong collector retention.