Watch Paparazzi

Tennis player Roger Federer spotted wearing Rolex

At the press conference ahead of the 2020 Australian Open in Melbourne, Roger Federer took his seat in a Uniqlo polo and, on his wrist, a Rolex Day-Date II in 18ct white gold — a combination of understated sportswear and serious watchmaking that only a select few pull off convincingly. The sighting offered a clean look at the fluted bezel, black concentric-ring dial, and bold Arabic numerals that define this now-discontinued reference.

The Rolex Day-Date II reference 218239 was introduced in 2008 as an upsized evolution of the classic 36mm Day-Date, stretching the case to 41mm to accommodate modern wrist preferences and a new Calibre 3156 movement. The in-house automatic movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers a 48-hour power reserve, and meets Rolex's Superlative Chronometer standard — +2/-2 seconds per day after casing. The case and President bracelet are crafted entirely in 950 platinum-grade 18ct white gold, giving the watch a cool, almost steely presence. The fluted bezel, a Rolex hallmark on precious-metal Day-Dates, reinforces the model's formal pedigree.

The black dial on this example features a distinctive concentric wave-ring pattern — Rolex calls it the "black" dial but collectors often note its subtle textural depth under direct light. Arabic numeral hour markers replace the more common stick or Roman options, lending the dial a sportier, more legible character while retaining presidential gravitas. The Day display aperture at 12 o'clock and date window at 3 complete the layout.

Rolex quietly discontinued the Day-Date II in 2015, replacing it with the cosmetically refined Day-Date 40 (ref. 228239). The II is now viewed as a transitional collectible — large enough to feel contemporary, yet mechanically and aesthetically rooted in Rolex tradition. Grey-market prices for clean 218239 examples have held steady as collector interest in discontinued references grows.

Federer has long served as a Rolex brand ambassador, and his choice of the Day-Date II — the so-called "President's watch" — at a Grand Slam press conference rather than a flashier Daytona or Sky-Dweller reveals a player whose off-court taste mirrors his on-court economy: purposeful, authoritative, and timelessly correct.