Footballer Marco Asensio spotted wearing a Rolex

A coastal backdrop, mirrored sunglasses, and a flash of deep blue on the wrist: Marco Asensio was photographed relaxing at what appears to be a cliffside lido — most likely along the Italian Riviera or Amalfi Coast — with a Rolex Submariner 'Smurf' locked onto his left wrist. The sighting was flagged by trusted Mondani Web dealer Francine Joaillerie, lending further credibility to the identification.

The Rolex Submariner Reference 116619LB is the brand's flagship luxury dive watch, constructed entirely in 18-carat white gold — case, crown, and Oyster bracelet alike. Its defining feature is the unidirectional rotatable bezel fitted with a blue Cerachrom ceramic insert, paired with a matching blue dial carrying applied white-gold hour markers and Mercedes hands filled with Chromalight luminescent compound. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres, underpinned by the in-house Calibre 3135 automatic movement — a perpetual, bidirectionally wound rotor mechanism offering a 48-hour power reserve and chronometer certification to ±2 seconds per day. Case diameter sits at 40mm, a dimension that kept the 116619LB in production until Rolex's 2020 overhaul introduced the 41mm successor reference 126619LB.

The 'Smurf' nickname — a nod to its all-blue aesthetic — has been in collector circulation since the reference debuted. Among Submariner variants it occupies a unique position: it is the only configuration that combines a precious-metal case with a full-blue colour scheme, separating it clearly from the stainless 'Bluesy' 116613LB and from the yellow- or Everose-gold references. Its white gold construction gives the blue dial and bezel a crisper, cooler visual contrast than yellow gold would, a pairing that resonates strongly with both watch collectors and athletes drawn to understated luxury.

Asensio, currently at Paris Saint-Germain following a decorated spell at Real Madrid, has cultivated a reputation as one of European football's more style-conscious players. The Smurf sits naturally in a wardrobe that favours clean aesthetics over ostentation — a serious horological choice rather than a purely status-driven one.

On the grey market the 116619LB commands a significant premium over its already substantial retail price, with pre-owned examples in good condition regularly transacting between $45,000 and $55,000 USD depending on box, papers, and condition — a testament to both the scarcity of white-gold Rolex production allocations and the enduring demand the 'Smurf' nickname has generated across nearly two decades of collector culture.