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footballerSpotted May 2023

Footballer Luis Figo spotted wearing a Rolex

footballer Luis Figo spotted wearing a Rolex
Who & what: Rolex GMT-Master II 'Root Beer' 18K Everose Gold Reference 126715CHNR – Luis Figo Spotted on the Golf Course

Luis Figo, one of the most decorated footballers of his generation and a Ballon d'Or winner in 2000, was photographed on the golf course holding a box of Volvik S3 golf balls — and wearing what appears to be the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126715CHNR on his wrist. The setting is casual, but the watch is anything but.

The GMT-Master II 126715CHNR, introduced at Baselworld 2018, brought back the beloved 'Root Beer' aesthetic that originally debuted in the 1980s on two-tone steel and yellow gold references. This modern iteration is crafted entirely in Rolex's proprietary 18K Everose gold — a corrosion-resistant rose gold alloy developed in-house — and pairs it with a two-tone black and brown Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert. The 40mm Oyster case sits on an Everose Oyster bracelet with the Oysterclasp and Easylink 5mm comfort extension, offering both security and wearability.

At the heart of the watch beats the Caliber 3285, Rolex's dedicated GMT movement featuring a Chronergy escapement, paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, and an impressive 70-hour power reserve — a significant upgrade over the Caliber 3186 it replaced. The bidirectional rotatable bezel allows independent setting of the GMT hand for a second time zone, while the black lacquer dial with luminescent hour markers and Mercedes hands ensures legibility in any light condition.

The 'Root Beer' GMT-Master II holds a special place in collector culture. Its predecessor references — 16753, 16758, and 1675 — are among the most sought-after vintage Rolex pieces on the market. The 126715CHNR honors that lineage while pushing the specification forward. Supply remains constrained through authorized dealers, making grey-market premiums persistent and significant.

Figo joins a long roster of sports legends who gravitate toward the GMT-Master II as a lifestyle companion rather than a dress piece — a watch that reads as effortlessly at a golf club as it does at a boardroom table. At a retail price of approximately $36,750, with grey market values consistently pushing higher, the 126715CHNR is one of Rolex's most compelling — and elusive — current references.

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