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Chef Alessandro Borghese spotted wearing Rolex

Alessandro Borghese, the tattooed, straight-talking chef behind Italy's long-running cooking competition '4 Ristoranti,' was recently spotted wearing a stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II 'Batman,' reference 126710BLNR, fitted on the elegant five-link Jubilee bracelet — a combination that has become one of the defining sports-luxury watch pairings of the current era.

The 126710BLNR sits at the top of the GMT-Master II stainless steel hierarchy. It houses Rolex's Calibre 3285, a movement that represented a significant engineering step forward when introduced: 70-hour power reserve, Chronergy escapement for improved efficiency, and a Parachrom hairspring for shock and magnetic resistance. The 40mm Oyster case is matched with a bidirectional rotatable bezel set with a monobloc black-and-blue Cerachrom insert — virtually scratch-proof and UV-resistant — allowing the wearer to track a second time zone at a glance. The Jubilee bracelet, with its Oysterlock clasp and Easylink 5mm comfort extension, adds a dressy counterpoint to the tool-watch DNA.

The 'Batman' designation carries serious collector weight. The original Batman, ref. 116710BLNR, launched in 2013 and became an instant grail piece. When Rolex retired it in favor of the 126710BLNR in 2019, the new reference inherited all that desirability and added the Jubilee bracelet option — previously unavailable on this colorway — making it arguably the most complete execution of the GMT-Master II concept Rolex has ever produced. Grey-market premiums have remained consistently above retail since launch, a position that very few references sustain over multiple years.

Borghese has never hidden his appreciation for well-crafted objects — whether on the plate or on the wrist. His public persona blends blue-collar culinary credibility with genuine style, and the 126710BLNR mirrors that balance precisely: a serious professional instrument dressed up enough for television, rugged enough for a working kitchen environment.

On the current market, the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLNR lists at $10,800 USD following recent Rolex price adjustments, yet grey-market dealers consistently move the piece well above that figure, reflecting demand that continues to outpace authorized dealer allocation. For collectors, it remains a benchmark acquisition.