Watch Paparazzi

Singer Justin Bieber spotted wearing Rolex

Justin Bieber was photographed at a formal event wearing what is immediately identifiable as a fully iced-out Rolex Day-Date 36 in 18k yellow gold, subjected to an extensive after-market diamond treatment that covers the pearlmaster-style bracelet, bezel, lugs, and dial surround in pavé-set round brilliant diamonds. The stock gold dial with Roman numeral hour markers is preserved beneath the stones, keeping the watch's presidential identity legible despite the radical modification.

The base reference appears to be the Rolex Day-Date 36 ref. 118238, featuring the 36mm 18k yellow gold Oyster case and the iconic President bracelet — here transformed by an independent gem-setter who has covered virtually every millimetre of metal with stones. The movement inside is Rolex's Calibre 3155, a 31-jewel self-winding manufacture movement beating at 28,800 vph with a 48-hour power reserve, offering the day and date complication through a dual quick-set mechanism. The sapphire crystal carries the Cyclops lens over the date window at 3 o'clock.

From a collector standpoint, after-set diamond Rolex pieces occupy a polarising corner of the market. Purists avoid them because aftermarket stone-setting voids Rolex's warranty and obscures the original finishing, while a significant street-culture clientele — particularly in hip-hop and pop — prizes them as the ultimate status expression. The craftsmanship of a quality full-pavé conversion can itself represent tens of thousands of dollars in labour and stones above the base watch's value.

Bieber has long maintained one of the most-watched wrist games in pop music, regularly rotating between Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Richard Mille references. His taste skews toward high-visibility pieces that photograph dramatically, and this fully iced Day-Date fits that brief precisely — the yellow gold and diamond combination reads instantly across a room and against a camera flash.

The stock Rolex Day-Date 36 ref. 118238 in yellow gold carries a retail price of approximately $36,550–$39,000 depending on dial configuration. With a full professional after-set diamond conversion of this calibre, the grey-market equivalent of the finished piece typically ranges from $55,000 to $85,000 depending on stone quality, setter reputation, and total carat weight — making this one of the more valuable pieces Bieber has been spotted wearing.