Watch Paparazzi

Chef Gordon Ramsay spotted wearing Rolex

Gordon Ramsay has built a reputation on exacting standards, and it turns out his wrist game demands the same discipline. The celebrity chef was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Yacht-Master 40 in 18k Everose gold, reference 116655 — one of the most technically and aesthetically coherent sports watches in the current Rolex catalogue.

Introduced in 2015, the Rolex Yacht-Master 116655 marked a significant departure for the line. It was the first Yacht-Master to pair an 18k Everose gold case and matching 66-pearl bidirectional rotatable bezel — itself crafted in Everose gold with a matte black Cerachrom insert — with the then-new Oysterflex bracelet. That bracelet, a high-performance black rubber strap with a titanium and nickel alloy metal blade embedded within, was developed in-house and offers the comfort of rubber with the security and rigidity of a metal bracelet. The case measures 40mm, water resistant to 100 metres, and houses the Calibre 3135 — Rolex's workhorse self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and COSC-certified chronometer accuracy.

Among collectors, the 116655 occupies a unique position. Everose gold Rolex sports references tend to polarise opinion — some purists resist precious metal in a sport context — but the Oysterflex bracelet gives this reference a genuine casual-luxe credibility that the older Oyster-bracelet gold Yacht-Masters never fully achieved. The reference has aged well since its launch and continues to attract buyers who want precious metal without ostentation.

Ramsay, worth an estimated $220 million, is known to favour high-end timepieces and has been photographed with several Rolex references over the years. The Yacht-Master 116655 suits his profile precisely: it reads as serious watchmaking to those who know, without shouting at those who don't — much like a well-executed dish that rewards attention.

At retail, the Rolex Yacht-Master 40 reference 116655 carries a list price in the region of $22,900 USD. On the secondary market, given Rolex's sustained demand across precious metal sports references, examples in good condition trade closely to or modestly above retail, making this one of the more accessible entry points into an 18k gold Rolex sports watch.