Watch Paparazzi

Royal Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim spotted wearing Rolex

Few wrists in Southeast Asia attract as much watch-world attention as those of Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor, whose social media presence regularly doubles as an inadvertent horological showcase. His latest sighting confirms a piece that sits at the very apex of Rolex's own production: the Cosmograph Daytona reference 116506 in platinum, factory-set with baguette-cut diamond hour markers.

Rolex introduced the ref. 116506 in 2013, making history as the manufacture's first Daytona to be offered in 950 platinum. The 40mm case houses the in-house calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch and a 72-hour power reserve — widely regarded as one of the most refined chronograph ebauches Rolex has ever produced. The ice-blue dial, a colour Rolex reserves exclusively for its platinum pieces, provides an immediately recognisable signature. This example goes further: eight baguette-cut diamonds replace the standard applied hour markers at the even indices, while three additional diamond-set markers appear within the chronograph subdials — all executed at the Rolex factory in Geneva, not aftermarket.

From a collector's perspective, the 116506 in any configuration is a formidable object. Its boutique-only distribution meant that even at launch, allocation was tightly controlled, and the diamond-set variants represent a fraction of an already scarce production run. The combination of platinum, factory diamonds, and the Daytona name creates a watch that sits comfortably alongside jewellery-house complications in terms of both craftsmanship and desirability. Seasoned collectors treat factory gem-set Daytonas as a distinct category — one where provenance and originality of the stone setting carry as much weight as the reference number itself.

Tunku Ismail, known publicly as TMJ, is no casual watch enthusiast. His collection, glimpsed across years of public appearances and Instagram posts, spans Patek Philippe grand complications, Richard Mille sports pieces, and the upper echelons of Rolex's catalogue. The 116506 with baguette markers is a logical centrepiece for a collection of that calibre.

On the secondary market, platinum Daytona ref. 116506 examples — particularly factory gem-set configurations — command significant premiums. Current grey-market valuations for diamond-dial variants place the piece well above £125,000, reflecting sustained global demand and the near-impossibility of sourcing a factory-correct example through conventional retail channels.