Actor Francisco Denis spotted wearing a Rolex

In the Netflix production Narcos, costume and props departments have consistently reached for luxury watches to signal wealth and status among their cartel characters. Francisco Denis, playing Cali Cartel co-founder Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela, is seen throughout the series wearing a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date on the iconic President bracelet — a casting decision that is historically plausible and visually loaded. As is widely acknowledged among watch-aware viewers of the show, the piece is in all likelihood a high-grade replica rather than a genuine Rolex, a common practice on productions where insurance and security costs for authentic luxury goods are prohibitive.

The reference being emulated is the Rolex Day-Date 18038, produced from 1978 through the mid-1980s. Cased in 18-karat yellow gold measuring 36mm, the 18038 houses Rolex's Calibre 3055 — a self-winding movement with a quickset date mechanism introduced on this reference, a significant practical upgrade over its predecessor the 1803. The Calibre 3055 beats at 19,800 vph, offers a 48-hour power reserve, and incorporates Rolex's Glucydur beryllium copper balance wheel. The integrated President bracelet, reference 8385, remains one of the most recognizable three-link bracelets in watchmaking.

Among collectors, the Day-Date 18038 occupies a nuanced position. It lacks the romantic patina of the earlier 1803 series but benefits from the practical quickset complication and a broad range of dial configurations — from classic champagne to more exotic lacquer and stone dials. Yellow gold examples in clean condition with original dials trade actively on the secondary market, appreciated for their wearability and the enduring cultural weight of the Day-Date name.

Francisco Denis is an Argentine-born actor whose portrayal of Orejuela in Narcos brought international visibility to his career. The character's watch choice — whether genuine or replica — is entirely consistent with historical accounts of Cali Cartel leadership, who favored conspicuous luxury as a marker of legitimacy and power.

On the grey market today, a Rolex Day-Date ref. 18038 in yellow gold with an original dial in good condition commands approximately $17,000, a figure that reflects sustained collector demand for vintage precious-metal Day-Dates and the enduring strength of the Rolex secondary market.