Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Stormzy spotted wearing Rolex

Wimbledon's strict all-white dress code applies to players, not spectators — and Stormzy made that distinction count. The rapper was spotted in the stands this past week wearing a Rolex Day-Date 40 in 18K Everose gold with an olive green dial, reference 228235, a combination that manages to feel both understated and unmistakably expensive.

The Day-Date 40 ref. 228235 sits at the top of Rolex's sports-dress hierarchy. Its case measures 40mm in Rolex's proprietary Everose gold — a rose gold alloy developed in-house with a higher palladium content specifically engineered to resist the fading that affects traditional rose gold over time. The olive green dial is lacquered, not sunburst-finished, giving it a depth that reads differently under artificial light versus natural daylight. The watch is fitted on a President bracelet, the three-link design that has been exclusive to the Day-Date since 1956 and remains one of the most recognizable bracelets in horology.

Power comes from the Calibre 3255, introduced in 2015 and widely considered Rolex's most significant movement development in decades. It features a Chronergy escapement — a nickel-phosphorus lever and escape wheel that improves energy efficiency by roughly 15 percent — and a Paraflex shock absorber system. Power reserve sits at approximately 70 hours, and the movement is certified to the Superlative Chronometer standard, meaning Rolex tests it to a -2/+2 seconds per day tolerance after casing, significantly tighter than COSC requirements.

The Day-Date's collector credentials are long-established. Since its 1956 debut it has been worn by heads of state, business leaders, and cultural figures across generations — giving it an aspirational weight that no marketing campaign could manufacture. The olive green dial variant appeals specifically to collectors who want something that reads as a Day-Date immediately but rewards closer inspection with an unusual color choice.

Stormzy's choice fits a broader pattern: British artists who have crossed into global cultural relevance tend to reach for gold Rolex Day-Dates as a statement of arrival. List price runs to approximately $43,500, but the grey market currently values the 228235 in olive green closer to $58,000, reflecting persistent demand that Rolex's controlled production cannot satisfy.