Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Drake spotted wearing Rolex

Drake has never been subtle about his relationship with high horology, and a recent sighting showing the OVO founder wearing the Rolex Day-Date II reference 218238 in full yellow gold with a diamond dial and baguette diamond bezel underscores exactly where his tastes sit — at the absolute apex of the Geneva manufacturer's dress watch catalog.

The Day-Date II ref. 218238 was introduced by Rolex in 2008, representing the first significant size increase to the Day-Date line since the model's debut in 1956. At 41mm in diameter, it offered a more contemporary wrist presence while retaining the architectural DNA of the original President — most notably the iconic three-link President bracelet exclusive to this model. The case, dial, and bracelet are rendered entirely in 18KT yellow gold, with Rolex sourcing and alloying its own proprietary gold in-house. The movement is the Calibre 3156, a self-winding manufacture calibre with a 48-hour power reserve, COSC chronometer certification, and Rolex's signature instantaneous-jumping day display — one of the more mechanically complex complications the brand offers.

The configuration Drake is wearing represents the most optioned expression of the 218238. The baguette diamond bezel — set with individually matched, step-cut rectangular stones — demands extraordinary precision in gem selection and setting, making it a boutique-level commission rather than a standard catalog item. Paired with a diamond-set dial, the watch becomes a tour de force in integrated stone work, the kind of piece Rolex's gem lab invests considerable time grading and matching before a single stone is set.

For collectors, the Day-Date II occupies a nuanced position. Discontinued in 2015 when Rolex introduced the 40mm Day-Date 40, the 218238 is now a closed chapter in the catalog, which has quietly increased interest among buyers who prefer the larger case. Diamond-bezel and diamond-dial examples in yellow gold represent the rarest and most desirable configurations on the secondary market.

Drake's watch collection — which spans Patek Philippe complications, vintage Rolexes, and bespoke pieces — reflects a genuine collector's eye rather than pure status signaling. The Day-Date II ref. 218238 in this configuration sits comfortably among the heaviest hitters in any serious collection.