Pilot Valentino Rossi spotted wearing a Rolex

Valentino Rossi, the most decorated motorcycle road racer in Grand Prix history, was recently spotted with a Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batman' — reference 116710BLNR — on his wrist. For a man who spent decades managing split-second timing at 200-plus mph, wearing one of horology's most respected travel complications feels entirely fitting.

Rolex introduced the GMT-Master II 116710BLNR in 2013, marking a genuine engineering milestone: it was the first wristwatch to feature a bicolour ceramic bezel insert. The black-and-blue Cerachrom bezel is virtually scratch-proof and UV-resistant, retaining its colour across decades of wear. The watch is cased in Oystersteel — Rolex's proprietary 904L stainless steel alloy — measuring 40mm with a Jubilee bracelet, a detail that distinguished it from its black-bezel sibling the 116710LN. Inside sits the Calibre 3186, a COSC-certified automatic movement beating at 28,800 vph, offering a 48-hour power reserve and a separately adjustable GMT hand that allows the wearer to track a home time zone independently of the local hour hand.

The 116710BLNR occupies a unique position in the collector market. Discontinued in 2019 when Rolex replaced it with the updated 126710BLNR housing the newer Calibre 3285, the 'Batman' reference has taken on significant aftermarket cachet. Its retirement gave it instant vintage appeal despite its relative youth, and demand among collectors has only strengthened since. The Jubilee bracelet configuration, in particular, commands a premium over the Oyster-bracelet equivalent.

Rossi's affinity for precision instruments is well documented — his career spanned 26 seasons of premier-class Grand Prix racing, yielding seven MotoGP titles and nine world championships in total. A man who built a dynasty on tenth-of-a-second margins understands the value of a movement engineered to the same uncompromising standard.

On the secondary market, the Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batman' 116710BLNR consistently trades well above its original retail price, reflecting both its discontinued status and enduring desirability among sport-watch enthusiasts. For collectors, Rossi's endorsement — however informal — only adds to the watch's already considerable profile.