Footballer Karim Benzema spotted wearing a Rolex

Karim Benzema, one of the most decorated forwards in Real Madrid history and a Ballon d'Or laureate, was recently spotted wearing a stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126710BLRO — the celebrated 'Pepsi' variant riding on its distinctive Jubilee bracelet. For a player whose wrist game is as scrutinised as his touch in the final third, the choice is a telling one.

The 126710BLRO sits at the top of the GMT-Master II stainless steel hierarchy. Introduced at Baselworld 2018, it marked the return of the red-and-blue bi-ceramic 'Pepsi' bezel to a steel case for the first time since the white-gold-only 116719BLRO era — a gap of roughly 13 years that had left collectors clamouring. The watch houses Rolex's in-house calibre 3285, a movement that brought a new Chronergy escapement, 70-hour power reserve, and Rolex's Parachrom hairspring to the GMT platform. The 40mm Oystersteel case pairs with a 24-hour rotatable bezel in Rolex's proprietary Cerachrom ceramic, virtually scratch-proof and UV-stable. Crucially, Rolex debuted the Jubilee bracelet on this reference — the first time a GMT-Master II in steel had worn the five-link configuration — lending it a dressier, more vintage-inflected personality than its Oyster-bracelet sibling.

Among collectors, the 126710BLRO occupies near-mythological status. The Jubilee detail alone separated it from every previous steel GMT-Master II and drove grey-market premiums to extraordinary levels in the years following launch. It remains one of the hardest Rolex references to acquire at retail, with authorised dealer waitlists measured in years rather than months.

Benzema's affinity for Rolex is well documented — the brand aligns with his understated-but-precise public image. He does not wear watches to shock; he wears them to confirm taste. The 126710BLRO is precisely that kind of statement: universally recognised, technically serious, and quietly expensive enough to command respect without requiring explanation.

At UK list price the 126710BLRO sits at approximately £7,150, translating to roughly $9,000 USD at retail. On the secondary market, however, demand consistently pushes examples well above that figure, with clean, unworn specimens trading in the $16,000–$19,000 range depending on condition and paperwork. For a reference this tightly allocated, that premium shows no sign of compressing.