Singer Nicky Jam spotted wearing a Rolex

Nicky Jam has never been shy about serious horology, but his latest sighting raises the bar considerably. The Puerto Rican reggaeton icon was photographed wearing the Rolex Day-Date 40 reference 228396TBR, a platinum sports-dress watch that most collectors will never encounter in the metal — let alone on a wrist in the wild.

The Day-Date 40 228396TBR sits at the absolute apex of the Rolex catalogue. The 40 mm case and bracelet are crafted entirely in 950 platinum, the most precious and dense metal Rolex works with. Platinum's natural weight gives the watch an unmistakable presence on the wrist, and Rolex reserves it exclusively for the Day-Date line. The pairing with an ice blue dial is a house tradition — that distinctive pale tone is achieved through a process that only develops on platinum, making it impossible to replicate in gold. The bezel is set with baguette-cut diamonds, and the dial itself carries Arabic numeral hour markers, the detail that defines the 'Arabic' designation and was tailored specifically for Middle Eastern market sensibilities.

Rolex introduced the reference 228396TBR in 2016 as part of the Day-Date 40 generation, which updated the classic 36 mm Day-Date proportions first seen in 1956. Crucially, this particular configuration was allocated only to authorised dealers in the Middle East, never entering the general global distribution network. That geographic exclusivity alone would make it a collector talking point; the baguette bezel and Arabic dial combination elevate it further. Rolex has since unveiled a successor variant featuring an olive green dial, effectively closing the chapter on the original ice blue 228396TBR.

For collectors, the 228396TBR occupies rare territory: a factory-built Rolex that is simultaneously a flagship material statement, a regional limited distribution piece, and a discontinued reference. Grey-market demand reflects that reality sharply.

Nicky Jam, whose catalogue spans hits across Latin trap and reggaeton, has long cultivated a taste for high-end timepieces. Choosing the Day-Date 228396TBR signals genuine horological awareness rather than off-the-shelf celebrity spending. Official retail on the 228396TBR stands at $117,500, but grey-market values have climbed to approximately $400,000 — a premium that underscores just how far demand has outpaced supply on this extraordinary reference.