Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Aymeric Laporte spotted wearing Rolex

Aymeric Laporte was photographed wearing the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116505 in Everose gold with a meteorite dial — a combination that sits at the intersection of haute horlogerie materials science and motorsport heritage. The sighting adds the international footballer to a select group of collectors who have opted for one of the most texturally striking dials Rolex has ever produced.

The Rolex Daytona 116505 was introduced as part of the fourth-generation Daytona family, which Rolex debuted in 2000 with the Ref. 116520 steel model. The 116505 brought an all-Everose gold case measuring 40mm, with a tachymetric bezel in matching metal rather than ceramic. Inside beats the Caliber 4130, Rolex's in-house column-wheel chronograph movement featuring a vertical clutch, 72-hour power reserve, and approximately 44 components fewer than its predecessor — a movement widely respected by watchmakers for its reliability and ease of servicing. The oscillator runs at 28,800 vph and the movement is COSC-certified.

The meteorite dial version of the 116505 is a significant collector's piece. Gibeon meteorite — the source material — is an iron-nickel alloy authenticated by its iron crystal structure, visible as geometric, cross-hatched lines across the dial surface. Because the material is genuinely extraterrestrial and finite, no two dials are identical, lending each watch an intrinsic uniqueness that manufactured dials cannot replicate. Rolex stabilises and treats the meteorite slices to prevent oxidation, but the raw, almost industrial texture remains arrestingly visible.

Laporte, 30, has built a reputation as one of Europe's most technically assured central defenders, with a career spanning Manchester City, Athletic Club, and the Spanish national team before his high-profile move to Al-Nassr. Off the pitch, he has demonstrated a measured taste in watches, and the Daytona 116505 meteorite is a fitting choice — understated in its silhouette, extraordinary in its detail.

On the grey market, the Rolex Daytona 116505 with meteorite dial commands a meaningful premium over its already substantial retail price. While the steel ceramic Daytona still draws the longest waitlists, precious-metal Daytonas with exotic dials occupy a stable, appreciating niche among serious collectors. The combination of Everose gold and meteorite makes this particular reference genuinely difficult to source.