Actor Mark Wahlberg spotted wearing a Rolex

Mark Wahlberg has built a reputation for reaching toward the top tier of any category he enters, and his wrist game is no exception. The actor and entrepreneur was recently spotted wearing the Rolex Day-Date 40 reference 228349RBR — a white gold, diamond-set configuration that sits firmly at the apex of Rolex's flagship dress watch line. This is not an entry-level Day-Date: it is the model in its most elaborate factory form.

The Day-Date 40 ref. 228349RBR is built on an Oyster case measuring 40mm in diameter, crafted entirely in 18K white gold. The bracelet is the iconic President, exclusive to the Day-Date family since its introduction in 1956. At the heart of the watch sits Rolex's Calibre 3255, a manufacture movement featuring the Chronergy escapement — a nickel-phosphorus lever and escape wheel system that delivers roughly 15 percent greater energy efficiency than a conventional Swiss lever escapement — along with a 70-hour power reserve and a Parachrom hairspring. Certified as a Superlative Chronometer, it is accurate to ±2 seconds per day.

What elevates this particular reference is the dial and gem configuration. The pavé dial is hand-set with brilliant-cut diamonds across its entire surface. Eight baguette-cut diamonds serve as hour markers, while the 6 and 9 o'clock positions are distinguished by baguette-cut blue sapphires — a detail that introduces controlled color contrast into an otherwise all-white composition. Every stone is sourced, graded, and set by Rolex's in-house gemological department in Geneva, a credential that matters considerably to serious collectors.

The Day-Date has been the reference point for presidential and celebrity ownership since Dwight D. Eisenhower received one at its 1956 launch. Among collectors, fully gem-set examples like the 228349RBR occupy a distinct sub-category: they are rarely discounted, seldom found at authorized dealers without waitlists, and command strong multiples on the secondary market. Wahlberg's choice of this specific reference — sapphires at 6 and 9 rather than full diamond — reflects a degree of deliberate specification, not simply a default luxury purchase.

At an official retail price of approximately $96,980 USD, the Day-Date 40 ref. 228349RBR is among the highest-priced non-complications in the Rolex catalog. On the grey market, demand for gem-set white gold Day-Date 40 references has remained firm, with examples trading at or above retail depending on provenance and condition.