Watch Paparazzi

Film director Spike Lee spotted wearing Rolex

Spike Lee arrived at a public appearance dressed in a custom Gucci suit rendered in gold and purple — Bryant's Lakers colors — with the number 24 embroidered on the lapels as a deliberate memorial to the late basketball icon. On his wrist sat the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126715CHNR in Everose gold, a choice that matched the suit's warm metallic palette without looking accidental. The combination was studied, intentional, and entirely on-brand for a director known to treat personal style as an extension of his creative voice.

The 126715CHNR sits at the top of the GMT-Master II hierarchy. The 40mm Oyster case and bracelet are crafted in Rolex's proprietary Everose gold — an 18k rose gold alloy with a small platinum addition that prevents the metal from fading or pinking over time. The dial is a rich chocolate brown, and the bidirectional rotatable bezel insert is set in Everose gold with a black-and-brown 'Root Beer' ceramic Cerachrom finish. Powering the watch is the calibre 3285, Rolex's in-house movement featuring a Chronergy escapement, 70-hour power reserve, and GMT hand independently adjustable in one-hour increments — a genuine tool function in a thoroughly luxurious package.

The GMT-Master II 'Root Beer' in Everose gold occupies a specific and coveted corner of the collector market. Rolex introduced this generation of the reference in 2018, replacing the older 116715CHNR. The black-and-brown bezel combination — nicknamed 'Root Beer' — has been associated with the GMT-Master lineage since the 1980s, and its return in full precious metal trim was warmly received. Because Rolex produces the 126715CHNR exclusively in Everose gold with no steel equivalent for this colorway, it carries an inherent scarcity that keeps demand consistently high.

Spike Lee has long been one of cinema's most visible watch enthusiasts, frequently photographed in Rolex, Patek Philippe, and other serious references at film premieres, NBA courtside seats, and awards ceremonies. His willingness to coordinate watches with outfits — rather than treating them as accessories afterthoughts — reflects a collector's sensibility rather than a stylist's checklist.

At retail, the Rolex GMT-Master II 126715CHNR lists above $41,000. On the grey market, demand for Everose GMT variants remains robust, with examples regularly trading between $45,000 and $55,000 depending on condition and documentation — a premium that underscores just how deliberately Spike Lee chose his wrist game that day.