Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Ronaldo Lima spotted wearing Rolex

Brazilian football icon Ronaldo Lima, known universally as R9 to distinguish him from his Portuguese namesake, was recently spotted wearing one of the most coveted sport watches in the current Rolex catalogue: the GMT-Master II reference 126710BLRO, fitted on its signature five-link Jubilee bracelet. For a man who spent his career making the impossible look effortless, the choice is fitting.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO is powered by the in-house Calibre 3285, a movement introduced alongside this reference and representing one of the most significant advances in modern Rolex engineering. Beating at 28,800 vph, the 3285 features a Chronergy escapement — a nickel-phosphorus lever and escape wheel that improves energy efficiency by roughly 15 percent — a Parachrom hairspring for antimagnetic and shock resistance, and a power reserve of approximately 70 hours. The bidirectional independent 24-hour GMT hand allows the wearer to track a third time zone without disrupting local time, the core function for which the GMT-Master was originally developed in partnership with Pan Am in 1955.

What makes the 126710BLRO historically significant is the reintroduction of the 'Pepsi' colorway in Cerachrom ceramic — red and blue — on a steel case. From 1985 through 2007, steel GMT-Masters wore aluminum 'Pepsi' bezels; when the two-tone ceramic version arrived in 2007 it was exclusive to the yellow gold 116719BLRO. The 2018 debut of the 126710BLRO brought the red-blue combination back to steel for the first time in over a decade, and pairing it with the elegant 78200 Jubilee bracelet rather than the sportier Oyster created immediate, enormous demand.

Ronaldo Lima has cultivated a reputation as a serious watch collector over the years, regularly photographed with high-end references from Rolex and beyond. The GMT-Master II 126710BLRO suits his profile precisely — globally recognizable, technically accomplished, and carrying genuine horological history without requiring explanation.

On the grey market, the 126710BLRO continues to command a significant premium over its retail price, reflecting sustained demand that has never fully normalized since launch. Collectors regard it as one of the most wearable and versatile references in the current Rolex portfolio, and its combination of the Jubilee bracelet and Pepsi bezel ensures it retains strong resale value across markets.