Royal Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim spotted wearing a Rolex

Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor and son of Malaysia's current King, has earned a genuine reputation as a discerning collector rather than a mere accumulator of horological status symbols. His latest sighting adds an unusual chapter to that story: a custom Rolex Submariner No-Date reference 114060, reworked by London-based atelier Wildman with a striking turquoise dial and limited to a production run of ten pieces.

The reference 114060 occupies a specific and respected place in Rolex history. Launched at Baselworld 2012 as an updated successor to the 14060M, it brought the Submariner No-Date into the modern era with a 40mm Oyster case in 904L stainless steel, a unidirectional rotating bezel with a black Cerachrom insert, and — crucially — the in-house Calibre 3130 movement. That self-winding movement offers a 48-hour power reserve, operates at 28,800 vph, and carries Rolex's Superlative Chronometer certification, ensuring accuracy to within -2/+2 seconds per day. Rolex discontinued the 114060 in 2020, replacing it with the larger 41mm reference 124060, which only enhanced the older model's collectibility.

Wildman's customisation centres on a turquoise dial — almost certainly a natural turquoise stone or high-quality composite — which transforms the tool-watch austerity of the no-date Submariner into something considerably more individual. Crucially, the modification preserves the legibility and structural integrity that define the reference. With only ten examples produced, this sits firmly in micro-edition custom territory, occupying a niche that appeals to collectors who want differentiation without the overt showmanship of full aftermarket rebuilds.

Tunku Ismail is no stranger to serious watchmaking. Publicly documented wearing everything from Patek Philippe grand complications to military-specification tool watches, the Crown Prince treats horology with evident literacy. Choosing a disciplined, edition-controlled custom piece over an off-the-shelf luxury watch speaks to a collector sensibility that prioritises narrative and scarcity over brand hierarchy alone.

On the secondary market, a standard reference 114060 in excellent condition currently commands a premium over its original list price, typically trading between $14,000 and $17,000 depending on condition and papers. The Wildman turquoise-dial variant, given its ten-piece limitation and royal provenance, operates in an entirely different pricing conversation — one driven by private negotiation rather than grey-market benchmarks.