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rapperSpotted June 2023

Rapper Wiz Khalifa spotted wearing a Rolex

rapper Wiz Khalifa spotted wearing a Rolex
Who & what: Rolex Day-Date II 18k Yellow Gold Black Roman Dial Reference 218238 – Wiz Khalifa Sighting

Wiz Khalifa was photographed outdoors, leaning against a vehicle in a relaxed off-duty look, with a distinctly presidential flash of gold at his wrist. The piece in question is a Rolex Day-Date II in 18k yellow gold, reference 218238, fitted with what appears to be a black dial dressed in gold Roman numerals — one of the most sought-after dial executions in the modern Day-Date family.

The Day-Date II ref. 218238 was introduced at Baselworld 2008 as Rolex's answer to the industry-wide shift toward larger case diameters. At 41mm across the case — up from the classic 36mm Day-Date — the ref. 218238 sits on the full President bracelet in 18k yellow gold and houses the in-house calibre 3156, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and Rolex's proprietary Paraflex shock absorbers. The sapphire crystal carries a cyclops lens over the date window at 3 o'clock, and the characteristic day aperture at 12 o'clock remains — the feature that originally set the Day-Date apart from every other watch on the market when it debuted in 1956.

The fluted bezel on this reference is machined directly from solid 18k yellow gold — not a separate bezel insert — giving it that deeply architectural, reeded appearance that has become the Day-Date's most recognisable visual signature. The black dial with gold Roman numerals is a collector favourite: bold, legible, and unapologetically luxurious without relying on diamonds or exotic stones.

Wiz Khalifa has consistently gravitated toward yellow gold Rolex pieces as a core part of his personal style vocabulary. The Day-Date II choice is instructive — it signals an appreciation for Rolex's top-of-catalogue status symbol, a watch historically worn by heads of state and business leaders, now equally at home in hip-hop culture's luxury lexicon.

The Day-Date II line was discontinued and replaced by the updated Day-Date 40 (ref. 228238) in 2015, which made the ref. 218238 a finite production piece. On the grey market, strong examples in yellow gold with desirable dials — precisely this configuration — trade comfortably above original retail, reflecting both collectibility and the enduring cachet of the President bracelet.

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