Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Wilfried Bony spotted wearing Rolex

Ivory Coast international and former Manchester City FC striker Wilfried Bony was photographed wearing a full 18k yellow gold Rolex Yacht-Master II, reference 116688 — a watch that makes no concessions to subtlety and demands the wrist presence to carry it.

The Rolex Yacht-Master II ref. 116688 is the top-tier configuration of a model Rolex introduced in 2007 as a genuine tool watch for professional offshore racing. The 44mm case is machined entirely from 18k yellow gold, matched by a yellow gold Oyster bracelet with Rolex's Glidelock clasp extension system. The bidirectional bezel ring is also gold, with raised black ceramic hour markers in a design Rolex calls the Ring Command bezel — a functional interface that programs the countdown timer directly through bezel rotation. Beneath the dial sits the caliber 4161, a manufacture movement with a patented programmable regatta countdown complication offering a mechanical memory for synchronizing with race start sequences. Power reserve runs to approximately 72 hours.

Among collectors, the ref. 116688 occupies a specific niche: it is technically the most complex watch in the standard Rolex sport catalogue, yet it remains genuinely underappreciated compared to Daytona and GMT-Master references. Full yellow gold sport Rolexes are rarely subtle, and the 116688's 44mm footprint and regatta complication make it a polarizing piece — serious enough in engineering to satisfy a movement purist, bold enough in execution to appeal to buyers who want their wristwatch noticed. Production quantities are modest relative to steel sport references, giving it quiet collector credibility.

Bony, who played for Swansea City, Manchester City, Stoke City, and the Ivory Coast national team, built a career on power and clinical finishing. His choice of the all-gold Yacht-Master II — a watch that weighs considerably more than most dress pieces and announces itself without apology — reads as consistent with that profile.

At retail, the Rolex Yacht-Master II ref. 116688 in 18k yellow gold lists at approximately $43,650 USD. On the grey market, demand for all-gold sport Rolex references keeps values firm, with traded examples typically tracking close to or above retail depending on condition and full set documentation.