Olivier de Kersauson — watch collection

About Olivier de Kersauson’s watch collection

Olivier de Kersauson is one of France's most celebrated maritime explorers and ocean racing figures. Born in 1944, he has spent decades pushing the limits of offshore sailing, earning a reputation as one of the sport's most determined and outspoken personalities. He is a three-time Jules Verne Trophy contender and claimed the record for crewed non-stop circumnavigation aboard the trimaran Geronimo in 2004, completing the round-the-world run in just over 63 days. Beyond the race course, de Kersauson is also a prolific author and television personality in France, known for his philosophical, often blunt commentary on the sea, solitude, and endurance. He is a member of the Académie de marine and holds the rank of officer in the Légion d'honneur.

The Olivier de Kersauson watch collection, as documented in our sightings, reflects the no-nonsense practicality you would expect from a man whose office is the open ocean. He has been photographed wearing a Rolex GMT-Master II in stainless steel and 18k yellow gold, most consistent with reference 16713 — a two-tone configuration produced by Rolex from approximately 1988 to 2007. The image shows him in a sailing jacket bearing regatta insignia, with the watch sitting cleanly on his wrist. It is a working tool watch worn in context, not a display piece.

The ref. 16713, often called the "Rootbeer" in its brown-bezel form, comes in several bezel variants; the sighting places de Kersauson in the black-bezel version, which is the more understated of the two-tone configurations. The GMT-Master II's dual time zone function has obvious utility for an offshore sailor coordinating across longitudes during record attempts. For a man who has crossed every major ocean under sail, a robust, legible Rolex with genuine navigational purpose is an entirely coherent choice.