Watch Paparazzi

Entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni spotted wearing Rolex

Lake Como provided a fittingly glamorous backdrop when Italian fashion entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni was photographed wearing one of Rolex's most extravagant configurations — a 36mm Day-Date in 18k yellow gold with a fully pavé-set diamond dial, bezel, and President bracelet. The sighting, captured while Ferragni wore an Etro paisley bomber jacket and carried a studded bucket bag, offered a clear look at the watch on her wrist, confirming the extent of its diamond coverage.

The reference in question is consistent with the Rolex Day-Date 36 ref. 118388, produced in 18k yellow gold with a factory-fitted diamond-pavé dial set with brilliant-cut VS2 stones, a diamond-set bezel, and a diamond-set President bracelet — the full 'ice' treatment. The 36mm Oyster case houses Rolex's in-house calibre 3155 automatic movement, featuring a perpetual rotor, Parachrom hairspring, and a 48-hour power reserve. The day display aperture sits at 12 o'clock, while the date window occupies 3 o'clock — both hallmarks of the Day-Date lineage. Roman numeral hour markers, themselves set in gold, are just visible between the diamond fields.

The Day-Date's history is inseparable from its association with heads of state and figures of institutional power — it has been nicknamed the 'President's watch' since Dwight D. Eisenhower received one at his 1956 inauguration. The fully-jewelled variants sit at the extreme end of Rolex's own production spectrum, requiring skilled setters to work across the dial, bezel, and every bracelet link individually. These watches occupy a different collector tier from the standard Day-Date — they are bought as wearable jewellery as much as horology.

Ferragni, whose digital media empire and brand partnerships have made her one of Europe's most commercially influential personalities, has a well-documented affinity for high jewellery and luxury watches. The Day-Date's combination of institutional prestige and overt luxury aligns logically with her public aesthetic.

On the grey market, fully-pavé Day-Date 36 examples in yellow gold trade at a meaningful premium over retail given the complexity of their diamond setting and relatively limited production volumes. Expect current secondary market values to sit well above the $45,000 USD list price, with condition and original box-and-papers driving significant variance.