Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo spotted wearing Rolex

Cristiano Ronaldo has long treated luxury watches as a personal statement, and his latest sighting — photographed holding a Rolex Sky-Dweller in 18-karat yellow gold — is entirely consistent with the striker's taste for maximum-impact horology. The ref. 326938, rendered entirely in warm yellow gold on an Oyster bracelet, is the most opulent expression of Rolex's most sophisticated complication.

Introduced in 2012, the Sky-Dweller was Rolex's first new complication in over fifty years. The calibre 9001 at its core is a column-wheel, self-winding movement with a 72-hour power reserve, a GMT second time zone displayed via an off-centre disc at 12 o'clock, and — most impressively — the patented Saros annual calendar. The Saros system tracks the twelve months of the year via sectors around the chapter ring, requiring just one manual correction per year, at the February/March transition. The Ring Command bezel, unique to the Sky-Dweller, allows the wearer to switch between setting modes by simply rotating the outer bezel, eliminating the need for complex crown positions. It is, by any measure, a genuine mechanical achievement under the Rolex badge.

The ref. 326938 specifically specifies an 18k yellow gold 42mm case, yellow gold Oyster bracelet with Easylink extension, and is typically paired with a champagne or ivory dial. Among collectors, the all-gold Sky-Dweller occupies a peculiar but respected niche: it is neither underdog nor grail piece in the traditional sense, but its mechanical depth earns it far more respect than a simple date Datejust in the same metal. It remains one of the few Rolex references where the movement genuinely justifies the price premium over simpler siblings.

Ronaldo's relationship with Rolex and with high-end watchmaking more broadly is well-documented. He maintains a collection that spans Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, and Rolex, and has been photographed wearing eight-figure timepieces during Champions League campaigns. The Sky-Dweller ref. 326938, while not his most extravagant sighting, signals a preference for substance behind the shine.

On the market, the 18k yellow gold Sky-Dweller ref. 326938 carries a UK list price of approximately £33,390, translating to roughly $42,000 USD at retail. Grey-market premiums for yellow gold Sky-Dweller references have moderated since the 2021–22 peak but remain above retail, with secondary sales typically landing in the $44,000–$48,000 range depending on condition and papers.