Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Jadon Sancho spotted wearing Rolex

At the Dior Homme Autumn/Winter 2022 show, Manchester United and England international Jadon Sancho arrived with something on his wrist that easily outpriced most of the runway looks on display: a Rolex GMT-Master II reference 116759SA, one of the rarest and most jewel-intensive pieces Rolex produces for the open market.

The GMT-Master II 116759SA is built on the same 40mm Oyster case that underpins the standard GMT-Master II family, housing Rolex's in-house Calibre 3186 — a 28,800 vph automatic movement with a Parachrom hairspring, GMT hand, and approximately 50 hours of power reserve. Where this reference departs from every other GMT is in its construction: the case is rendered in 18k white gold and set with 76 brilliant-cut diamonds across the lugs and middle links, while the iconic two-colour bezel insert — here mimicking the blue and black 'Batman' colourway — is replaced entirely by 29 baguette-cut diamonds and 30 baguette-cut blue sapphires. The dial itself is a deep meteorite or gem-set variant depending on configuration, framed by a diamond-set crown.

Rolex introduced the 116759SA as part of its jewellery-complications tier, a category the brand pursues with the same engineering rigour it applies to its sport watches. The reference is not a boutique-only fantasy — it appears in official Rolex catalogues — but authorised dealer allocations are extraordinarily limited. Most collectors never see one in the metal. Its combination of a genuine dual-time-zone complication with investment-grade gem-setting gives it a rare dual identity: a working traveller's tool and a piece of haute joaillerie simultaneously.

Sancho, who signed for Manchester United in 2021 for a reported £73 million fee, has cultivated a fashion profile that runs well beyond standard footballer style. His attendance at a Dior Homme show signals genuine engagement with the industry, and pairing that appearance with the 116759SA rather than a more conventional sports Rolex reads as a considered choice.

At an official retail price of $126,650, the GMT-Master II 116759SA already occupies rarefied territory. On the secondary market, where scarcity and gem-set Rolex demand intersect, confirmed transaction prices for the 116759SA in unworn or near-mint condition have ranged considerably higher, with strong examples regularly trading above retail. For Sancho, it is simply a watch. For the rest of the market, it is one of the harder Rolex references to acquire at any price.