Watch Paparazzi

Entrepreneur Gianluca Vacchi spotted wearing Rolex

Gianluca Vacchi — the Bologna-born entrepreneur and entertainer known for his flamboyant lifestyle across social media — was spotted wearing one of the more coveted configurations in Rolex's vintage catalog: a yellow gold GMT-Master reference 1675 featuring the brown 'Tiger Eye' bezel and rare 'nipple' dial. It is exactly the kind of watch that rewards close inspection, and Vacchi's choice signals genuine connoisseurship beneath the showmanship.

The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 entered production in 1959 as the successor to the original ref. 6542, and it remained in the catalog until 1980. Powered by the calibre 1565, later updated to the calibre 1575, the movement offered a central 24-hour hand that could be set independently to track a second time zone — a function developed in close collaboration with Pan American World Airways. The yellow gold version elevated the tool-watch formula into luxury territory, pairing professional function with precious-metal status.

The 'Tiger Eye' designation refers to the brown and gold tonal palette of the original bakelite or later acrylic bezel insert — a color combination that evokes the semi-precious stone and sits in stark contrast to the more common red-and-blue 'Pepsi' or black variants. What elevates this particular example further is the 'nipple' dial: a configuration featuring small pyramid-shaped applied gold hour markers with a raised central pip, giving the dial an almost brutalist three-dimensional texture. These nipple dials are considerably rarer than the standard applied-index versions and are among the most sought-after dial variants across all vintage Rolex references.

Vacchi has built a persona around excess done with a degree of taste — his watch choices tend to reflect that balance. A vintage yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 with this dial and bezel combination sits comfortably in a personal collection positioned between investment-grade vintage and genuine wrist presence.

On the current grey market, a yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master ref. 1675 in collector-grade condition trades in the region of €30,000, though nipple-dial examples with desirable tropical or original gloss dials can push materially higher at auction. Retail pricing is not applicable for a vintage reference of this era.