Footballer Mpibi Lykogiannis spotted wearing a Rolex

Mpibi Lykogiannis, the international defender recently acquired by AEK Athens, made his official club presentation wearing a timepiece that speaks volumes about watch taste among elite athletes: a stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II "Pepsi" ref. 116710BLRO. The defender's choice of this specific reference underscores the enduring appeal of Rolex's dual-time sports watch among professional footballers.

The GMT-Master II ref. 116710BLRO houses the Calibre 3186 automatic movement, delivering 72 hours of power reserve and a reliable 28,800 vph beat rate. The 40mm Oyster case, crafted from 904L stainless steel, achieves 100 metres of water resistance—adequate for everyday professional use despite the watch's sport-utility positioning. The defining feature is the bidirectional rotatable bezel in aluminium, its iconic Pepsi configuration (blue for daytime hours, red for night) rendered in contrasting anodised finish. The dial presents applied indices and luminous Mercedes hands, with a date window at 3 o'clock. The watch rides on the five-link Jubilee bracelet, a hallmark of steel Rolex sports watches.

The Pepsi bezel has maintained near-mythical status among GMT-Master II collectors since its debut in 1955. Ref. 116710BLRO, produced from 2007 to 2010 before the introduction of the Cerachrom bezel, represents the final generation of aluminium Pepsi bezels and has become increasingly sought after as Rolex transitioned to ceramic technology. The steel sports Rolex on a Jubilee bracelet occupies a sweet spot: professional gravitas without dress-watch pretension.

Lykogiannis's wrist choice aligns with a broader pattern among European footballers, who favour the GMT-Master II for its legibility, robustness, and visual impact during club presentations and media appearances. The steel sports Rolex signals both success and substance—a watch earned rather than inherited.

Retail pricing for the ref. 116710BLRO historically sat around USD 11,100; current grey-market examples trade between USD 16,000 and USD 20,000 depending on condition, dial variants, and service history. The pre-ceramic Pepsi bezel commands a premium over later ceramic-bezelled references.