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royalSpotted May 2023

Royal Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi spotted wearing a Rolex

royal Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi spotted wearing a Rolex
Who & what: Rolex Day-Date 40 Platinum Baguette Diamond Bezel Green Arabic Dial 228396TBR – Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi

During Eid prayers, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Ajman Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi was photographed in traditional white thobe and red-checked ghutrah — and on his wrist, a subtle but unmistakable flash of silver and green identified as the Rolex Day-Date 40 Middle East Edition in platinum. The setting, a moment of religious observance, made the understated placement of a six-figure timepiece all the more noteworthy.

The reference in question is the 228396TBR, Rolex's 40mm platinum Day-Date fitted with a factory bezel set with 32 baguette-cut diamonds. The dial is finished in an olive green hue and bears applied Eastern Arabic (Indic) numerals — the script used across the Arab world — rather than the standard Western Arabic figures seen on most catalogue variants. The day disc at 12 o'clock also displays in Arabic script. Powering the watch is calibre 3255, Rolex's in-house movement featuring a Chronergy escapement, 70-hour power reserve, and certification as a Superlative Chronometer to ±2 seconds per day.

The Middle East Arabic dial Day-Date has historical resonance that extends well beyond its contemporary retail positioning. In the 1970s, Rolex produced Day-Date references — most notably the 1803 and 18038 — with Eastern Arabic dials for Gulf clientele and regional heads of state. Those vintage pieces now command substantial premiums at auction, with pristine examples regularly exceeding $100,000. The modern 228396TBR is Rolex's direct continuation of that tradition, available exclusively through the brand's regional retail network.

Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi is Crown Prince of Ajman, one of the seven emirates comprising the UAE. Members of the Gulf royal families have long been among Rolex's most significant Middle East patrons, and the choice of this specific reference — made expressly for the region — reads as both culturally deliberate and personally meaningful rather than merely aspirational.

At an official retail price of $132,050 USD, the 228396TBR sits firmly in the upper tier of the current Day-Date range. On the secondary market, platinum Day-Date 40 references with diamond bezels trade at meaningful premiums over retail given their scarcity, with grey market estimates for this specific Arabic dial configuration regularly exceeding $160,000–$180,000 USD, driven by strong regional and collector demand.

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