Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic spotted wearing Rolex

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, AC Milan striker and one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, was photographed wearing the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 'Eye of the Tiger' in 18k yellow gold, reference 116588TBR — a watch that sits at the very top of Rolex's gem-set hierarchy and commands immediate attention in any room.

The 116588TBR is built on the standard 40mm Daytona case in 18k yellow gold and is powered by the in-house Rolex Calibre 4130, a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph movement beating at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve. Rolex developed the 4130 entirely in-house and it remains one of the most respected chronograph ebauches in the industry for its reliability and serviceability. The case is rated to 100 metres water resistance and features the characteristic Oyster bracelet with the Oysterclasp and Easylink comfort extension.

What makes reference 116588TBR genuinely exceptional is the bezel work. Rolex's gem-setting atelier invisibly sets 36 trapeze-cut diamonds into the yellow-gold bezel, a technique that requires stones of near-identical dimensions and extraordinary lapidary precision — no prongs, no visible metal between gems, just an unbroken surface of diamond. The dial continues the statement: black lacquer is paved with diamonds across the main chapter ring, while the three chronograph counters appear in champagne lacquer intertwined with further diamond and black lacquer detailing. The visual contrast is deliberate and theatrical.

For collectors, the 116588TBR occupies a niche that few pieces can claim: it is simultaneously a legitimate Daytona — with all the horological credibility that reference carries since its 1963 introduction — and a high jewellery object. It is not the watch for the purist who wants a steel 116500LN, but it is exactly the watch for the collector who wants proof that Rolex can operate at the level of a Place Vendôme maison.

Ibrahimovic's personal style has always leaned toward the conspicuous, and the 116588TBR fits his public persona with precision. On the grey market, examples trade well above retail, reflecting both the scarcity of gem-set Daytonas and the enduring demand for anything carrying the Daytona name.