Footballer Luis Suarez spotted wearing a Rolex

At last night's Ballon d'Or ceremony — one of football's most-watched red-carpet events — Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez arrived with the Rolex GMT-Master II Reference 126711CHNR quietly anchoring his wrist. The setting placed the watch alongside the sport's biggest names, making it a natural moment for sharp-eyed watch spotters.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 126711CHNR is among the more nuanced offerings in the current GMT-Master II lineup. Its two-tone 'Rolesor' construction combines an Oystersteel case with 18k Everose gold — Rolex's proprietary rose gold alloy formulated for fade resistance — applied to the bezel, crown, and select case elements. The defining visual feature is the two-tone Cerachrom bezel insert in chocolate brown and black, a nod to the original 'Root Beer' GMT-Master colorway beloved by collectors since the 1980s. The 40mm case houses the Calibre 3285 movement, Rolex's seventh-generation GMT calibre, featuring a Chronergy escapement, Parachrom hairspring, and a 70-hour power reserve — a significant advance over the earlier Calibre 3186. The bidirectional GMT hand allows independent 24-hour time zone tracking, practical as much as it is iconic.

From a collector standpoint, the 126711CHNR occupies interesting territory. It reintroduced the Root Beer aesthetic when it launched at Baselworld 2018, replacing the previous reference 116711LN. The brown-black Cerachrom combination remains more exclusive than the ceramic 'Batman' or 'Pepsi' variants, appealing to collectors who want something with history and restraint rather than high visibility. Two-tone Rolex sports references also carry a consistent collector premium — they age well aesthetically and hold value firmly.

Suarez, currently playing for Club Nacional in Uruguay after his spell at Atlético Madrid, has long favored statement luxury watches. His appearance at the Ballon d'Or places him alongside football royalty, and the 126711CHNR is precisely the kind of watch that communicates connoisseurship without showboating — understated only relative to full gold alternatives.

On the market, the GMT-Master II 126711CHNR carries a retail price of approximately $15,800 USD, but grey-market demand has pushed current transaction values to around $23,355 — a premium reflecting both the Root Beer colorway's enduring appeal and the persistent demand for two-tone Rolex sport references across global secondary markets.