Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Wiz Khalifa spotted wearing Rolex

Wiz Khalifa was photographed wearing what appears to be a Rolex Submariner in 18-karat yellow gold with a vivid blue dial and matching blue bezel insert — a combination that sits at the intersection of professional dive watch heritage and unabashed opulence. The sighting, casual in setting, is entirely consistent with the rapper's well-documented appetite for high-end horology.

The watch in question is the Rolex Submariner reference 16618, produced from roughly 1988 through 2010. It houses the in-house caliber 3135 automatic movement, a workhorse of a mechanism featuring a Parachrom hairspring, bidirectional Perpetual rotor, and approximately 48-hour power reserve. The 40mm case in 18k yellow gold is paired with the matching Oyster bracelet featuring the Glidelock extension system, while the unidirectional rotating bezel carries a blue anodized aluminum insert — a detail that separates it from the later ceramic-bezeled 116618LB successor.

The 16618 occupies a fascinating position in the collector market. It was discontinued before Rolex's full transition to Cerachrom bezels, meaning its aluminum insert — more prone to fading — is now seen as a period-correct charm rather than a liability. All-gold Submariners have historically been polarizing among purists who prize the steel variants, but that tension has only amplified the 16618's desirability among collectors who appreciate its unapologetic statement.

For Wiz Khalifa, the choice reads as entirely authentic. The Pittsburgh-born rapper has worn everything from Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks to diamond-encrusted customs, but there is something telling about reaching for a gold Submariner in a relaxed, off-duty moment. It signals fluency with the material — someone who owns the watch because he understands it, not merely because it photographs well.

On the grey market, the Rolex Submariner 16618 with blue dial trades well above its original retail price, buoyed by gold spot prices and sustained collector demand for pre-ceramic reference Submariners. Expect to pay a significant premium over new retail for a clean example with box and papers.