Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Christian Eriksen spotted wearing Rolex

Christian Eriksen was photographed celebrating Inter Milan's 19th Scudetto title wearing a stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II 'Pepsi' on a Jubilee bracelet, reference 126710BLRO — one of the most coveted sports watches in production today. The sighting puts a horologically significant piece front and center at one of Italian football's marquee moments.

The GMT-Master lineage dates to 1954, when Rolex developed the original model in collaboration with Pan American World Airways to give intercontinental pilots an instant read on two time zones simultaneously. The ref. 126710BLRO is the current-generation steel Pepsi, introduced at Baselworld 2018 and shipping from 2019. It runs the in-house Rolex Calibre 3285, a movement featuring the Chronergy escapement — roughly 15 percent more efficient than its predecessor — and a 70-hour power reserve. The bidirectional GMT hand and independently adjustable local hour hand remain the watch's core functional proposition, all housed in an Oyster case measuring 40mm.

What makes the 126710BLRO particularly notable among collectors is the Jubilee bracelet. After decades in which the steel GMT-Master wore an Oyster bracelet, Rolex paired the reborn steel Pepsi exclusively with the five-link Jubilee, a bracelet historically reserved for the Datejust and Day-Date families. The combination proved polarizing at launch but quickly became a defining aesthetic choice, and the Oyster option was reintroduced for other references — not for the 126710BLRO itself. The Cerachrom ceramic red-and-blue bezel insert, scratch-resistant and colorfast, completed a package that immediately created waiting lists at authorized dealers worldwide.

Eriksen's affinity for fine watchmaking is well documented among football circles, but this sighting carries extra resonance. The Danish international returned to elite club football following his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 — a recovery that captivated the sporting world — and his integral role in Inter's title-winning campaign represents a remarkable personal and professional chapter.

On the secondary market, the 126710BLRO consistently trades above retail despite cooling in the broader grey market since the 2022 peak. It remains one of Rolex's hardest references to acquire at list price and holds its value with characteristic solidity, underpinned by genuine demand rather than speculative flipping.