Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Alvaro Morata spotted wearing Rolex

Álvaro Morata was photographed in an intimate family moment, kissing his young child on the head — and sharp-eyed watch spotters will notice the platinum bracelet of a very serious timepiece wrapped around his wrist. The reference in question is the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116506, the marque's flagship chronograph rendered in solid 950 platinum. It is not a piece that announces itself loudly, yet among collectors it carries enormous weight.

Rolex introduced the 116506 in 2013 at Baselworld to celebrate the Cosmograph Daytona's 50th anniversary. The 40mm case and integrated Oyster bracelet are machined from 950 platinum — a material Rolex works with sparingly and with extraordinary precision. The chestnut brown Cerachrom bezel is unique to this reference; no other Daytona variant carries this colour combination. The ice-blue sunray dial, exclusive to Rolex platinum models by long-standing house convention, features platinum applied hour markers and three matching subsidiary chronograph registers edged in chestnut brown, creating a colour harmony that photographs beautifully and reads even better in person.

Beneath the case beats Calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house column-wheel chronograph movement featuring a vertical clutch, 72-hour power reserve, and a silicon Parachrom hairspring. It is widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished and reliable chronograph ebauches in Swiss watchmaking — a movement that justifies the reference's position at the very top of the Daytona hierarchy.

Morata has long been associated with the upper tier of professional football, having represented Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, and now Atlético Madrid. His taste in watches reflects a player who has operated at the highest level of the game for over a decade. The 116506 is not an impulse purchase — it requires allocation, patience, and a significant relationship with an authorised dealer, making its presence on Morata's wrist a meaningful collector statement.

At retail the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116506 carries a list price of approximately $75,000 USD. On the grey market, demand for this platinum variant remains consistently strong, with examples trading between $85,000 and $110,000 depending on condition and provenance — a premium that underlines its status as one of the most coveted references in contemporary horology.