Footballer Neymar Jr spotted wearing a Rolex

Neymar Jr was recently photographed wearing a Rolex Day-Date 40 reference 128348RBR on his wrist, the kind of piece that stops even seasoned collectors mid-scroll. The sighting adds another serious entry to the Brazilian forward's well-documented watch rotation, which consistently skews toward grand complications and heavily jewelled precious-metal references.

The Day-Date 40 ref. 128348RBR is built on an oyster case measuring 40 mm in 18ct yellow gold — Rolex's own Everose and white gold are available elsewhere in the family, but yellow gold is the historically correct and most prestigious metal for this reference. The bezel is set with a continuous row of brilliant-cut diamonds in a channel setting, a process carried out entirely by Rolex's in-house gem-setting atelier in Geneva. The dial goes further: every available surface is pavé-set with round brilliant diamonds, while the hour markers deploy a graduated rainbow of coloured stones — sapphires, rubies, tsavorites and citrine-toned gems arranged to traverse the full visible spectrum. Powering the watch is Rolex's calibre 3255, a manufacture movement featuring a Chronergy escapement, a 70-hour power reserve, and certification to Superlative Chronometer standards of ±2 seconds per day — mechanical performance that justifies the platform regardless of the jewellery.

The Day-Date lineage dates to 1956, when Rolex introduced the first wristwatch to display both the date and the full day of the week spelled out in a dedicated aperture. From the outset it was positioned as the president's watch — an instrument of power — and the 128348RBR represents the 2019-generation update of that legacy in its most extravagant configuration. Collector interest in rainbow and full-diamond Day-Date references has intensified sharply since 2018, driven partly by hip-hop and football culture's embrace of Rolex's jewellery watches.

Neymar Jr is among the world's highest-paid athletes and has been photographed with everything from Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks to Richard Mille skeletons. The Day-Date 128348RBR signals a deliberate choice of Geneva establishment over independent watchmaking — a watch that communicates legacy as much as luxury.

At an official retail price of $105,000 USD, the 128348RBR already occupies rare air. On the grey market, demand for diamond-set Day-Date 40 references consistently pushes values above retail; current secondary pricing sits around $120,000 USD, reflecting both constrained supply and sustained cultural cachet.