Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Hakan Çalhanoglu spotted wearing Rolex

Hakan Çalhanoglu, the Turkish international midfielder who has built his reputation as one of Serie A's most technically gifted deep-lying playmakers — first at Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, now anchoring Inter Milan's engine room — was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Submariner Date in two-tone Rolesor, reference 116613LB. The blue-dialed variant is arguably the more desirable of the two 116613 references, and it is a watch that commands attention well beyond the football pitch.

The Rolex Submariner Date 116613LB pairs an 18k yellow gold and 904L stainless steel Oyster case — 40mm in diameter — with a unidirectional rotating bezel fitted with a black Cerachrom ceramic insert in blue. The dial carries applied yellow gold hour markers and Mercedes hands, with a date window at three o'clock framed by a Cyclops lens. Inside sits the Calibre 3135, Rolex's workhorse self-winding movement featuring a Parachrom hairspring, Paraflex shock absorbers, and a 48-hour power reserve. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres, fully consistent with its professional dive watch heritage.

Introduced in the early 1990s as the successor to the reference 16613, the 116613LB was produced until 2020, when Rolex retired it in favour of the updated 126613LB with the larger 41mm case and Calibre 3235. That discontinuation has only strengthened collector interest in the outgoing generation. The 116613LB occupies a sweet spot in the Submariner lineage — modern enough for everyday wear, vintage enough to carry genuine horological narrative.

For footballers, the two-tone Submariner has long served as the entry point into serious watch collecting. It signals taste without ostentation. Çalhanoglu, known for a measured and professional public profile, wears it accordingly. The 'Bluesy,' as collectors commonly call it, suits a player whose game is built on intelligence rather than flash.

On the secondary market, the 116613LB trades consistently above its original retail price, reflecting the sustained demand for discontinued Submariner references in Rolesor configuration. Examples in full set, unworn condition attract a meaningful premium. For collectors and casual observers alike, Çalhanoglu's choice is straightforward and well-considered — exactly the kind of watch that ages gracefully, much like a well-managed career.