Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Farid Bang spotted wearing Rolex

Farid Bang, the Düsseldorf-born rapper of Spanish-Moroccan heritage and the entrepreneur behind the influential Banger Musik label, was recently seen wearing the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126715CHNR — the full Everose gold 'Root Beer' — a watch that sits at the apex of the current GMT-Master II catalogue in terms of material prestige and collector demand.

The GMT-Master II ref. 126715CHNR was introduced in 2018 alongside the steel 'Batman' and 'Pepsi' updates, all sharing the new calibre 3285 movement and the redesigned Oyster bracelet with Oysterflex option. What distinguishes the 126715CHNR is its construction entirely in Rolex's proprietary Everose gold, an 18-carat rose gold alloy with a platinum component that prevents the metal from fading over time. The 40 mm Oyster case pairs with a black dial and the instantly recognisable two-tone brown-and-black Cerachrom ceramic bezel — virtually scratch-proof and UV-resistant — that gives the watch its 'Root Beer' nickname. Inside, calibre 3285 delivers a 70-hour power reserve, a Chromalight display, and a practical GMT hand allowing simultaneous reading of two time zones, accurate to +2/-2 seconds per day.

The 'Root Beer' lineage stretches back to the ref. 1675 of the late 1960s and the ref. 16753 of the 1980s, both produced in yellow gold with brown-and-gold bezels and now highly sought by vintage collectors. Rolex's decision to revive the colour scheme in ceramic for the modern era was a deliberate nod to that heritage, and the market responded accordingly. The 126715CHNR carries a retail price of approximately $48,000, but its grey-market premium reflects sustained demand and the inherent scarcity of any full-gold Rolex sports reference.

Farid Bang has built one of the most commercially successful careers in German-language rap, known for his unapologetically direct style and entrepreneurial drive. His taste in watches runs to the bold and instantly legible — qualities the GMT-Master II 'Root Beer' delivers without compromise.

On the secondary market the Rolex GMT-Master II ref. 126715CHNR consistently trades above retail, with authorised dealer waitlists remaining long. For collectors, the combination of precious metal, ceramic bezel technology, and vintage-referencing design makes this reference one of the more defensible stores of value in the contemporary Rolex sports watch segment.