Boxer Manny Pacquiao spotted wearing a Rolex

In May 2015, ringside cameras and post-fight coverage captured Manny Pacquiao wearing what would become one of the most talked-about watches in boxing history — a Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116718LN finished in 18ct yellow gold and set with pavé diamonds and black sapphires. The sighting came on one of the most commercially significant nights in boxing, a moment that placed Pacquiao under the world's most intense scrutiny. His watch, quietly, was doing its own talking.

The GMT-Master II ref. 116718LN belongs to Rolex's haute joaillerie tier, built on the same 40mm Oyster case architecture as the standard 116718LN but transformed by gem-setting across the bezel, dial, lugs, and bracelet. The black sapphires replace the standard ceramic bezel insert, maintaining the GMT's signature two-tone timing functionality — here distinguishing day and night hours — while the pavé diamond work runs deep into the bracelet links. Powering the watch is Rolex's calibre 3186, a self-winding movement with a Parachrom hairspring offering superior resistance to magnetic fields and shocks, beating at 28,800 vph with approximately 50 hours of power reserve.

The GMT-Master lineage dates to 1955, developed in collaboration with Pan American World Airways to serve intercontinental flight crews. Sixty-plus years of evolution produced the ref. 116718, introduced in the mid-2000s, which brought modern Rolex engineering — improved movement, updated case finishing — to the gold GMT platform. The gem-set variant 116718LN takes that heritage into territory far removed from its utilitarian origins, making it a collector curiosity: a serious complication dressed for a completely different conversation.

For Pacquiao, the choice of watch is entirely coherent. The eight-division world champion and Philippines senator has long gravitated toward statement-level luxury, and a $175,000 Rolex occupies precisely that register. That he wore it following a loss to Mayweather — a night when many expected him to disappear from the spotlight — said something about his composure and self-assurance.

On the secondary market, fully gem-set Rolex references in yellow gold occupy a specialist niche. The 116718LN in standard configuration commands strong premiums; the pavé-diamond version trades hands at prices that reflect both Rolex brand equity and the cost of the gem-setting itself, typically in the $150,000–$200,000 range depending on condition and provenance. Retail for such a configuration, when available through authorised dealers, sits near the $175,000 mark.