Watch Paparazzi

Singer Macklemore spotted wearing Rolex

Macklemore was photographed at what appears to be a home setting, seated casually in a leather chair with a can of The Clean Cause sparkling water nearby — the brand he co-founded. On his left wrist sits a watch that immediately commands attention: the Rolex Submariner Date 41 in 18ct yellow gold with a blue dial and matching blue Cerachrom bezel insert, almost certainly reference 126618LB.

Introduced as part of Rolex's sweeping 2020 update to the Submariner family, the 126618LB upgrades the outgoing 116618LB with a larger 41mm case, the new-generation calibre 3235 movement, and a redesigned bracelet with the Oysterlock clasp featuring Rolex's Glidelock extension system. The calibre 3235 offers approximately 70 hours of power reserve, beats at 28,800 vph, and features the Chronergy escapement — a substantial upgrade over the earlier 3135. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres.

Among collectors, the yellow gold Submariner occupies a specific niche: it is unambiguously luxurious in a way the steel variants are not, and the blue-on-gold 'Bluesy' configuration is considered the more desirable of the two yellow gold Sub references (the other being the black-dial 126618LN). Waitlists at authorised dealers are measured in years, not months, making grey-market premiums substantial and persistent.

Macklemore has demonstrated genuine horological curiosity over the years, with previous sightings including various Rolex references. The pairing here — a six-figure Swiss dive watch worn with a graphic sweatshirt and gold chain — is consistent with his aesthetic: high-low dressing where the watch does the talking. The 'Be Boy Kings' embroidery on his chest keeps it relaxed; the 126618LB does anything but.

At official Rolex retail, the 126618LB lists at approximately $39,650 USD, though finding one at that price through an authorised dealer is genuinely rare. On the secondary market, examples in unworn condition with full set have traded between $55,000 and $65,000 USD in recent months, reflecting the sustained demand premium that attaches to all yellow gold Submariner Date references.