Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Eden Hazard spotted wearing Rolex

Eden Hazard is no stranger to extravagant taste, but the Rolex Daytona 116588TBR he was photographed wearing represents something considerably more deliberate than a standard luxury flex. This is a piece that requires a Rolex authorised dealer relationship, significant patience, and a list price that clears £85,000 in the UK — positioning it firmly among the Swiss manufacturer's most exclusive production references.

The Rolex Daytona 116588TBR is built on the Cal. 4130 movement, Rolex's in-house chronograph calibre introduced in 2000 and still regarded as one of the most robust and reliable column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph movements in production. It beats at 28,800vph, offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve, and is chronometer-certified to COSC standards. The case is 40mm, crafted entirely in 18kt yellow gold, and the defining detail is the bezel: 36 trapeze-cut diamonds, factory-set by Rolex itself — not an aftermarket modification — lending the watch an authority that bespoke diamond settings rarely match.

The Oysterflex strap is a quietly significant element. Introduced by Rolex in 2015, the black elastomer strap houses a longitudinal metallic blade inside its structure, giving it the flexibility of rubber with the rigidity and security of a bracelet. On a full yellow gold diamond Daytona, it creates an intentional contrast — sporty underpinnings beneath serious jewellery — that collectors either appreciate immediately or not at all.

Hazard's affinity for the 116588TBR fits a broader pattern among elite European footballers who treat horology as a genuine extension of personal identity rather than mere brand alignment. During his Real Madrid years, Hazard was consistently photographed with high-complication and high-jewellery pieces, and the Daytona 116588TBR — chronograph, diamonds, gold — represents the convergence of all three impulses in a single Rolex reference.

On the grey market, the Rolex Daytona 116588TBR commands a meaningful premium over its already substantial list price, driven by its allocation scarcity and the enduring collector demand for factory-diamond Daytonas. This is not a watch that sits in display cases unsold — it moves, and it moves at price.