The Miami Heat small forward never does things by halves – and his latest piece of wrist candy demonstrates that.
Jimmy Butler, despite being one of the NBA’s biggest talents, often flies under the radar. Maybe that’s because of his unflashy, methodical approach to basketball, or maybe it’s because he’s been unfairly tarred with the brush of being a bad teammate…
Another area where he flies under the radar is his watch collection. NBA players aren’t short on cash and many of the biggest names like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis are all watch guys. Butler’s a watch guy too, but he’s often not included in that conversation.
It’s a shame because he’s got one of the most interesting and varied watch collections in the NBA. Butler wears everything from TAG Heuer Carreras and Patek Philippe Nautiluses to diamond-flooded Rolexes – like this rare Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’ (ref. 116758SA) he was spotted wearing at a post-game conference after round 3 game 6 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.
Images: NBA / Millenary Watches
A highly luxurious take on the fan-favourite GMT watch, Butler’s ‘Pepsi’ features sapphires, rubies and diamonds in place of the watch’s normal bi-coloured ceramic 24-hour bezel. Crafted from 18ct yellow gold, it also features diamond-paved lugs and is worth an eye-watering $300,000 AUD.
As we alluded to above, it’s an ‘off-catalogue’ Rolex, meaning that it’s a model that’s not officially listed anywhere on Rolex’s website or on display in boutiques. This is a rare and exclusive watch that’s only offered or available to Rolex’s most important customers – or ‘testimonees’ (what the brand calls their ambassadors).
Typically, off-catalogue Rolexes are the brand’s most sumptuous and expensive creations. The most famous off-catalogue Rolex is the Daytona ‘Eye Of The Tiger’, a similarly bejewelled precious metal timepiece – which Butler also owns an example of, actually.
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The Miami Heat are facing off against the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals, with game 1 happening right now (as of publishing).