Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Pablo Zabaleta spotted wearing Rolex

Pablo Zabaleta, the Argentine right-back who spent over a decade at Manchester City before stints at West Ham and beyond, was recently spotted wearing one of Rolex's most commercially successful chronographs — the Cosmograph Daytona in bi-metal configuration, reference 116503. The sighting puts a well-chosen piece on the wrist of a player known more for defensive discipline than flashy showmanship, which, as it turns out, suits the watch perfectly.

The Rolex Daytona ref. 116503 was introduced as part of the generation that debuted Rolex's manufacture movement, the calibre 4130, in 2000. That movement was a landmark moment for the brand: a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph built entirely in-house, replacing the reliable but outsourced Zenith El Primero-based calibre 4030. The 4130 runs at 28,800 vph, offers a 72-hour power reserve, and is widely regarded as one of the most robust chronograph movements in production. The ref. 116503 houses this calibre in a 40mm Oystersteel case paired with an 18K yellow gold bezel and gold-ringed subsidiary dials — a combination Rolex designates as Rolesor. The tachymetric scale is rendered in 18K gold on the bezel, and the dial options include both black and white variants.

Among collectors, the 116503 holds a pragmatic position. It lacks the rarity cachet of the full-gold 116508 or the sporting purity of the all-steel 116500LN — introduced in 2016 with a ceramic bezel and immediately waitlisted — but it delivers genuine two-tone luxury with strong long-term value retention. Buyers who want Daytona DNA with a dressier edge without committing to full precious metal consistently return to this reference.

For Zabaleta, the choice reads as considered rather than conspicuous. A career spent at elite clubs across England and South America has given him the means to reach for far more extravagant horology; the fact that he lands on a bi-metal Daytona suggests a collector with taste calibrated toward longevity over theatre.

At retail, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116503 was listed at approximately £12,400 in the UK before Rolex discontinued the yellow Rolesor variant in favour of updated references. On the grey market, examples continue to trade at a premium, reflecting the enduring demand for any Daytona configuration regardless of generation.