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golferSpotted May 2023

Golfer Jon Rahm spotted wearing a Rolex

golfer Jon Rahm spotted wearing a Rolex
Who & what: Rolex GMT-Master II 18K White Gold Meteorite Dial 'Pepsi' Bezel Reference 126719BLRO — Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm celebrated his DP World Tour Championship victory in Dubai wearing what is arguably the most technically and materially extraordinary GMT-Master II in current production: the Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126719BLRO in 18K white gold with a meteorite dial. It is a fitting choice for a player who consistently operates at a level above the field.

The 126719BLRO was introduced at Baselworld 2018 alongside its steel sibling and immediately commanded attention as the first-ever GMT-Master II to pair the iconic bi-colour 'Pepsi' red-and-blue ceramic bezel with a precious metal case. The 40mm Oyster case is crafted entirely in Rolex's proprietary 18K white gold, while the dial is fashioned from a slice of genuine Gibeon meteorite sourced from Namibia — a material that predates the solar system and displays a distinctive crystalline Widmanstätten structure that no two dials replicate exactly. White gold applied hour markers and hands complete a dial that is simultaneously austere and extraordinary.

Power comes from the Rolex Calibre 3285, the movement Rolex developed specifically for the GMT-Master II line. It offers a 70-hour power reserve, a Chronergy escapement for improved efficiency, and a GMT hand independently adjustable in one-hour increments — a genuine traveller's complication. The movement carries the Superlative Chronometer certification, ensuring accuracy to ±2 seconds per day.

From a collector standpoint, the 126719BLRO occupies a singular position. Unlike the steel 126710BLRO — notoriously difficult to acquire at retail — the white gold variant is simply beyond most budgets at $39,700 list price, which paradoxically keeps grey-market premiums more contained than its steel counterpart. Collectors prize it for its combination of precious metal construction, a dial material with genuine cosmic provenance, and the culturally loaded Pepsi bezel configuration.

Rahm, a Rolex ambassador since 2019, wears the brand consistently on and off the course. Spotting the 126719BLRO at a marquee European Tour event underscores both his status within the Rolex family and his taste for references that reward close inspection. A meteorite dial on the wrist of a world number one — the symmetry is hard to argue with.

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