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Football manager Pep Guardiola spotted wearing Rolex

Pep Guardiola was caught on camera during Manchester City's 2017–18 Premier League title celebrations wearing a watch that most onlookers would never identify as a Rolex — which is precisely the point. On his wrist sat the Rolex Cellini Time reference 50509 in 18ct white gold, a model that occupies a quietly sophisticated corner of the Crown's catalogue far removed from the Submariner and Daytona headlines.

Introduced as part of the relaunched Cellini collection at Baselworld 2014, the ref. 50509 represents Rolex's most serious attempt at a traditional dress watch in the modern era. The 39mm white gold case is elegantly proportioned, featuring a domed bezel and a slightly domed dial with applied Roman numerals. Beneath the sapphire crystal sits the in-house calibre 3132, a self-winding movement built on the reliable 3130 base but fitted with Rolex's proprietary Parachrom hairspring for enhanced resistance to magnetic fields and shocks. Power reserve stands at approximately 48 hours. The movement is certified as a Superlative Chronometer, accurate to +/-2 seconds per day — a standard that exceeds the COSC benchmark.

From a collector's perspective, the Cellini line sits in an interesting position. It lacks the investment heat of Rolex's professional models, meaning secondary-market premiums are modest and examples can often be found near or even below retail — a genuine rarity in today's Rolex landscape. For the connoisseur, that makes the 50509 an honest buy: you are paying for craft and movement quality rather than speculative demand.

Guardiola has long been associated with refined, low-key taste — in his football philosophy as much as his personal style. Choosing the Cellini over, say, a Day-Date or a GMT-Master reads as a deliberate statement. This is a manager who favours clarity and discipline, and the 50509's clean white dial and white gold case mirror that sensibility precisely.

The Rolex Cellini Time ref. 50509 in white gold carried a UK list price of approximately £11,200 at the time of the sighting — translating to roughly $14,500 USD at prevailing rates. On the grey market the model trades at or slightly below retail, making it one of the few Rolex references where patience, not connections, is the only requirement.