That President William Ruto is a connoisseur of luxury and fine things goes without saying, so much so that even a glance at his wrist must keep him in step with multiple time zones.
A seasoned traveller with a meticulous regard for time, the Head of State’s taste can only be fulfilled by a watch of the calibre of the Rolex GMT-Master II, a model whose production spans more than four decades.
It was this quiet statement of refinement that accompanied Ruto as he stepped out in his signature polished style during a development tour of Turkana, cutting a composed figure under the scorching Lodwar sun.
Dressed in a classic WSR-style blue Kaunda suit paired with black Oxfords and a fedora with a matching blue ribbon, Ruto looked every bit the part.
Yet while the ensemble was characteristically sharp, his luxury wristwatch stole the show, shimmering with understated opulence.
Rendered in a distinctive two-tone configuration, the watch reflected an expensive gleam as it caught the desert light, making a bold statement of refined taste.
On its official website, Rolex describes the GMT-Master II as “the ultimate cosmopolitan watch,” designed to connect people across distances and time zones.
Encased in a 40mm Oyster case is the Calibre 3285, a self-winding mechanical movement that represents the pinnacle of Rolex engineering.
Crafted from a patented high-tech ceramic, the bezel is virtually scratchproof and resistant to the fading effects of ultraviolet light.
Rolex is especially famed for its bi-colour bezels, split into two distinct shades to represent day and night hours. The colours are fused into a single piece of ceramic through a complex chemical process, a feat that underscores the brand’s technical mastery.
But beyond its aesthetics, it is the mechanism that truly sets this watch apart.
It boasts a robust 70-hour power reserve, meaning it can be set aside for an entire weekend and still be ticking on Monday morning. Certified as a “Superlative Chronometer,” the movement guarantees precision to within an impressive two seconds per day.
The watch features a dedicated 24-hour hand and a two-colour, 24-hour graduated rotatable bezel, allowing the wearer to track a second time zone alongside conventional time. The local hour hand is adjusted in one-hour increments, independently of the other hands and without stopping the watch.
“At a glance, the wearer can see the time in their current location and in another part of the world, giving them a strengthened connection with their own personal ‘somewhere out there’, be it a special place or memory, or plans for a future journey,” Rolex writes.
In 2025, Rolex introduced a new iteration of the model featuring a Cerachrom dial—the brand’s first-ever dial made entirely of ceramic.
According to multiple watch listing platforms, the GMT-Master II currently retails for between Sh1.7 million and Sh3 million, depending on age and condition.
EWWatches, for instance, lists a 2025 model at Sh2.8 million (€19,000), while a pre-owned piece on eBay is priced at about Sh1.7 million.
This is not Ruto’s first appearance in a luxury timepiece.
In July, he was spotted wearing an antique Rolex Daytona valued at over Sh6 million during a visit to the Maasai Mara National Park for the annual wildebeest migration.
Dressed in jungle-green game wear and boots, the President completed the look with the Daytona—a watch long associated with wealth, prestige and refined taste.