Footballer Emmanuel Adebayor spotted wearing a Rolex

Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togolese striker whose club career spanned Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur among others, was photographed wearing a Rolex Yacht-Master II in solid 18ct yellow gold during what appears to be a casual outdoor gathering — likely in West Africa given the setting. The reference visible on his wrist aligns with the 116688, the full-gold variant of Rolex's sailing complication flagship.

Introduced in 2007 alongside the stainless-steel ref. 116680 and two-tone ref. 116681, the Yacht-Master II was Rolex's most technically ambitious sports watch at launch. Its Cal. 4161 automatic movement, beating at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve, incorporates a programmable countdown function via a ring command bezel — a patented mechanism that allows the wearer to set regatta start sequences of between 1 and 10 minutes directly from the wrist. The white lacquer dial features a distinctive red central seconds hand, blue subdial registers, and the unmistakable triangular regatta timer indicator at 6 o'clock.

The ref. 116688 measures 44mm across the yellow gold Oyster case, making it one of Rolex's largest sport references — a scale that reads confidently on Adebayor's athletic frame. The blue Cerachrom bezel insert, introduced progressively across the Yacht-Master II line, offers scratch resistance and UV stability far superior to earlier anodised aluminium versions. The Oyster bracelet, finished in polished and brushed 18ct yellow gold with a folding Oysterlock clasp, adds considerable heft and presence.

Among collectors, the full-gold Yacht-Master II occupies a niche position. It is less traded than the steel Daytona or the two-tone Yacht-Master I, partly because the 44mm case and regatta-specific complication narrow its appeal. That relative exclusivity, however, makes surviving examples in unworn condition increasingly sought after, particularly since Rolex discontinued the reference and replaced the line with the updated ref. 226658 featuring a redesigned bracelet and case finishing.

Adebayor has long been associated with conspicuous luxury — consistent with a career that generated significant Premier League and La Liga earnings. The choice of the Yacht-Master II in full gold over, say, a Daytona or Day-Date, signals a collector with genuine interest in Rolex's mechanical depth rather than simply its status hierarchy.