Footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko spotted wearing a Rolex

When Oleksandr Zinchenko put pen to paper on his move from Manchester City to Arsenal Football Club in July 2022, the cameras caught more than just a shirt reveal. On his wrist sat a stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II reference 126710BLRO — arguably the most talked-about sports watch of the last decade — its red-and-blue 'Pepsi' bezel unmistakable against the fresh red of his new club's colours.

The Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO was introduced at Baselworld 2018 and immediately rewrote the rulebook for the GMT-Master line. Its bidirectional rotatable bezel uses Rolex's proprietary Cerachrom ceramic in two distinct colours — blue and red — achieved through a single piece of ceramic, a manufacturing feat that took Rolex years to perfect. Powering the watch is the in-house Calibre 3285, a 70-hour power reserve movement featuring the Chronergy escapement, Parachrom hairspring, and a twin-barrel architecture that represents a genuine step forward from its predecessor, the Calibre 3186. The 40mm Oystersteel case is paired with the five-link Jubilee bracelet — a historically significant choice, as the Jubilee had not been offered on a GMT-Master since the earliest ref. 6542 models of the mid-1950s.

For collectors, the 126710BLRO occupies a uniquely desirable position. The 'Pepsi' colorway carries the deepest nostalgic weight in the entire GMT-Master catalogue, stretching back to Pan Am pilots of the 1950s and 1960s. When Rolex finally brought it back in ceramic on the Jubilee, waitlists at authorised dealers formed almost overnight and have barely shortened since. It remains one of the hardest references to acquire through official retail channels.

Zinchenko, known for his technical versatility and vocal presence on the pitch, has cultivated a reputation off it for considered personal style. Choosing the 126710BLRO at such a high-visibility moment — a transfer that attracted widespread media coverage across Europe — signals genuine watch literacy rather than off-the-shelf celebrity purchasing.

On the grey market, the Rolex GMT-Master II 126710BLRO trades at approximately $22,200, more than double its US retail price of $10,315. That premium reflects sustained organic demand and restricted supply, and shows no sign of meaningful correction. For a watch worn at one of English football's more memorable summer signings, the 126710BLRO was a fitting choice.