Watch Paparazzi

Actor Sylvester Stallone spotted wearing Rolex

Sylvester Stallone was recently photographed wearing the Rolex Day-Date 40 in 18K yellow gold, reference 228398TRU — a factory-set gem configuration that sits firmly at the apex of the Day-Date range. The sighting, shared via Stallone's own Instagram, put a spotlight on one of Rolex's most extravagant catalogue references, a watch that demands attention before the movement is even mentioned.

The 228398TRU is built around the 40mm Oyster case in 18K yellow gold, water-resistant to 100 metres and fitted with the in-house calibre 3255 — a movement that represents the current state of Rolex's engineering. The cal. 3255 offers a 70-hour power reserve, a Chronergy escapement granting roughly 15 percent greater efficiency than a conventional lever escapement, and a Parachrom hairspring for improved resistance to magnetic fields and shocks. Certified as a Superlative Chronometer, it operates to ±2 seconds per day. The dial itself is set with pavé diamonds, while baguette-cut rubies serve as hour markers and a full ruby-set bezel frames the watch — every stone selected and set by Rolex's in-house gem laboratory in Geneva.

The Day-Date lineage dates to 1956, when Rolex introduced the first wristwatch to display both the date and the full day of the week spelled out. From its earliest years it was positioned as a head-of-state and boardroom reference — the so-called "President's watch" — and was offered exclusively in precious metals. The 40mm case size was introduced in 2015 with the 228000-series references, modernising proportions while maintaining the model's DNA intact.

For collectors, factory gem-set Day-Date references hold a specific appeal that custom stone work simply cannot replicate. Rolex's in-house gem-setting department subjects every stone to strict colour, clarity, and cut criteria, and the factory provenance is fully traceable. References like the 228398TRU are produced in limited numbers relative to standard dial variants, and condition-graded examples with original paperwork command strong premiums on the secondary market.

Sylvester Stallone has long gravitated toward high-complication and high-jewellery pieces — his wrist has previously hosted Richard Mille and Patek Philippe — so the 228398TRU fits an established pattern of unapologetic, maximum-specification choices. With a UK list price of approximately £80,000, translating to roughly $100,000 at current rates, and grey-market values tracking above retail given constrained supply, this is a Rolex that performs as a financial asset as credibly as it performs as a statement piece.