Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Virgil Van Dijk spotted wearing Rolex

Spotted during what appears to be a pre-season or media session at Liverpool FC's training complex — van Dijk is wearing the club's New Balance training shirt carrying the AXA sponsorship logo, placing the sighting in the 2019–20 campaign window — the Dutch centre-back's left wrist carries one of the most coveted steel sports watches currently in production.

The watch is the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126710BLNR, introduced at Baselworld 2019. Its defining visual feature is the bidirectional 24-hour graduated bezel set with a two-tone Cerachrom insert in blue and black ceramic — the combination that earned the nickname 'Batman' from collectors, an evolution of the earlier 116710BLNR which wore the same colours on an Oyster bracelet. The 40 mm Oystersteel case houses Rolex's in-house calibre 3285, a movement that brought the brand's proprietary Chronergy escapement, Paraflex shock absorbers, and a 70-hour power reserve to the GMT line — a meaningful technical leap over the calibre 3186 it replaced. The black lacquer dial features applied hour markers and Mercedes hands in Chromalight, with the date aperture at 3 o'clock paired with a Cyclops lens.

From a collector standpoint, the 126710BLNR occupies a peculiar position: it is simultaneously one of Rolex's most requested references at authorised dealers and one of the most reliably liquid pieces on the secondary market. The addition of the Jubilee bracelet — previously absent from the GMT-Master II line for decades — elevated its wearability and, in the eyes of many collectors, its desirability beyond the already-popular Oyster-bracelet 'Batman' that preceded it.

Van Dijk's choice aligns with a pattern seen across elite European footballers who gravitate toward steel Rolex sports references as everyday anchors for their watch collections. As one of the best-paid defenders in world football, the 126710BLNR represents a considered, understated selection rather than a maximalist statement — functional horology dressed in a jubilee bracelet.

On the grey market, the 126710BLNR has traded consistently above double its retail price since launch, reflecting genuine demand rather than speculative flipping. With a list price of approximately $10,800 USD at introduction, secondary market values have settled in the $18,000–$22,000 range depending on condition and documentation, making van Dijk's wrist one of the more financially appreciating accessories in the Liverpool dressing room.