Footballer Willian spotted wearing a Rolex

Brazilian winger Willian was recently spotted wearing one of the most opulent factory-set Rolex references in existence: the GMT-Master II 116769TBR, a watch that occupies a rare intersection between serious watchmaking and high jewellery.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 116769TBR is constructed entirely in 18K white gold and departs radically from the tool-watch origins of the GMT-Master line. The bezel is set with baguette-cut diamonds and sapphires in the brand's signature 24-hour bidirectional format — here rendered not in Cerachrom ceramic but in pavé-set stones that replicate the classic two-tone colour-blocking. The dial features Rolex's so-called 'wave' diamond configuration, in which round brilliant-cut diamonds are arranged across the surface in a fluid, undulating pattern rather than a conventional paved grid. Hour markers are replaced by diamond-set dots, and the hands are silver-toned to preserve legibility. The movement inside is the calibre 3186, a COSC-certified self-winding manufacture movement with a Paraflex shock absorber and a Parachrom hairspring, offering approximately 50 hours of power reserve.

From a collector standpoint, the 116769TBR is a genuinely scarce reference. Rolex produces fully jewelled GMT variants in extremely limited numbers, and the combination of factory origin — critical for value integrity — with the wave dial configuration makes this one of the harder pieces to source authentically. Unlike aftermarket diamond-set Rolexes, which flood the market and carry significant value penalties, the 116769TBR carries its stones directly from Geneva, with corresponding paperwork and certification.

Willian, who built his reputation across top European clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal before returning to Brazil with Fluminense, has long been associated with high-end watch culture. Brazilian footballers have historically gravitated toward jewelled and precious-metal timepieces as expressions of success, and the 116769TBR fits squarely within that tradition — while standing apart through its legitimacy as a manufacture product.

At a retail price of approximately $560,000, the GMT-Master II 116769TBR sits at the summit of Rolex's commercial catalogue. On the secondary market, examples in full set condition with box and papers can trade at or above retail given scarcity, making this as much an asset as a watch.