Watch Paparazzi

Royal Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim spotted wearing Rolex

Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor and a figure whose wrist has become something of a horological reference point among Southeast Asian collectors, was recently photographed wearing one of the most extravagant Rolex Daytona references ever produced — the 116598 SACO, a discontinued yellow gold chronograph dressed with a hand-guilloché leopard dial and a gemstone programme that few references in the modern Rolex catalogue can match.

The Rolex Daytona 116598 SACO belongs to a lineage of exotic-dial Daytonas that Rolex introduced in the mid-2000s to stake a clearer claim in haute horlogerie territory. Cased in 18kt yellow gold and measuring the standard 40mm Daytona diameter, reference 116598 houses the calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house self-winding chronograph movement with a column wheel, vertical clutch, and a 72-hour power reserve — a movement considered by many specialists to be among the most robust and precisely engineered chronograph calibres in Swiss production. The SACO designation identifies the specific configuration: 36 cognac sapphire baguettes set into the bezel and 48 brilliant-cut diamonds positioned between the lugs, framing that signature lacquered leopard dial with its hand-painted spotted motif and subsidiary registers.

Discontinued production elevates the 116598 SACO well beyond its already rarefied original retail positioning. Rolex's exotic-dial Daytonas have consistently demonstrated that scarcity and visual drama together create outsized collector demand. The cognac sapphire variant in particular reads with unusual warmth against the yellow gold case — a considered aesthetic rather than simply a maximalist exercise. Serious Daytona collectors regard the exotic-dial references as the apex of the modern series, above even the standard jewellery variants.

Tunku Ismail is no passive watch wearer. The Crown Prince has built a public profile as an engaged collector, regularly appearing with significant pieces that span complications, independent makers, and grand complications from major maisons. His choice of the 116598 SACO is consistent with a collector who understands the layered value of discontinued gem-set Rolex references — pieces that exist simultaneously as certified chronographs, jewellery objects, and appreciating assets.

The last known official list price for the Rolex Daytona 116598 SACO stood at approximately £55,000. On the current grey market, discontinued gem-set yellow gold Daytonas of this specification trade at significant premiums over original retail, with comparable examples regularly exchanging hands well into six figures depending on provenance and condition.