Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Neymar Jr spotted wearing Rolex

Neymar Jr arrived at the Parc des Princes ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 fixture against AS Monaco with the kind of wrist real that stops watch collectors mid-scroll. On his wrist: a Rolex GMT-Master II 116759SARU in 18k white gold — one of the most jewel-intensive references in the entire Rolex catalogue, and a piece that blurs the line between professional tool watch and haute joaillerie.

The GMT-Master II 116759SARU is built around Rolex's calibre 3186, a self-winding movement with a paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, a Glidelock clasp for fine adjustment, and a 48-hour power reserve. It tracks a second time zone via its independently adjustable 24-hour hand — the core function of every GMT-Master since 1955. But the 116759SARU takes that utilitarian architecture and encrusts it in precious stones: the bidirectional Cerachrom bezel insert is replaced by an alternating pattern of blue sapphires and rubies that references the iconic 'Pepsi' colour scheme, the 40mm dial is set in pavé diamonds, and the lugs carry additional diamond setting. The result is unmistakably Rolex in architecture, yet closer in spirit to a Place Vendôme commission.

Among collectors, the 116759SARU occupies a peculiar position. Rolex produces jewellery-set references in deliberately limited numbers, and this reference — discontinued in its original form — surfaces rarely at auction or through grey-market dealers. When it does appear, condition and provenance drive enormous price variation. It is not a watch that attracts the typical GMT-Master speculator; it appeals to a specific buyer who wants both the mechanical credibility of a COSC-adjacent Rolex and the visual weight of a stone-set statement piece.

Neymar has long maintained one of football's most visible and eclectic watch collections, with Rolex, Richard Mille, and Patek Philippe all documented on his wrist. His choice of the 116759SARU for a high-profile stadium arrival is consistent with a collector who understands the difference between wearing something expensive and wearing something rare.

On the secondary market, the Rolex GMT-Master II 116759SARU commands approximately $150,000, a figure that reflects both the intrinsic value of its gemstone setting and the scarcity premium attached to jewelled Rolex sports references. No official retail price exists for this reference in current Rolex listings.