Watch Paparazzi

Basketball player Ben Simmons spotted wearing Rolex

Ben Simmons turned heads at the US Open in New York — not on the court, but on the sidelines — wearing one of the most technically and aesthetically ambitious references in the current Rolex catalogue. On his wrist sat the Rolex Sky-Dweller 326259TBR, an 18K white gold piece set with factory diamonds and featuring a dial cut from genuine Gibeon meteorite, delivered on the brand's sporty OysterFlex elastomer strap.

The Sky-Dweller line sits at the top of Rolex's complication hierarchy. Introduced in 2012, it houses the proprietary Calibre 9001 — a self-winding movement with a bi-directional rotor, annual calendar via the patented Saros system, and a dual time zone display using a discreet off-centre ring. At 42mm in diameter and 14.4mm thick, the case is substantial, yet the OysterFlex strap keeps it wearable on an active wrist. The 326259TBR reference specifically denotes the white gold case construction paired with a factory-set diamond bezel and case, with 'TBR' indicating baguette-cut stones set throughout.

The meteorite dial elevates this reference into a different conversation entirely. Sourced from the Gibeon meteorite field in Namibia, each dial displays a unique Widmanstätten crystalline pattern formed over billions of years — no two dials are identical. Rolex has used meteorite dials selectively across Datejust and Day-Date references for decades, but pairing the material with the Sky-Dweller's complexity and full diamond setting produces one of the house's most commanding pieces. The 'Secret Release' nickname reflects Rolex's unannounced launch strategy for select high-jewellery and precious-metal variants.

Simmons has consistently worn significant timepieces, and the 326259TBR fits a well-documented taste for maximum-specification Rolex references. Attending the US Open places him among a crowd where serious watch culture is increasingly on display, and this particular reference commands attention from collectors and civilians alike.

At a retail list price of approximately $230,000, the Sky-Dweller 326259TBR is already stratospheric by any measure. On the grey market, demand for precious-metal, diamond-set Sky-Dweller references has pushed current valuations toward the $470,000 mark — more than double retail — reflecting both Rolex's constrained supply of high-jewellery pieces and sustained collector appetite for the model.