Footballer Gerard Pique spotted wearing a Rolex

Gerard Pique was spotted in what appears to be a European street setting, dressed casually in an oversized black tee — his wrist revealing one of the most sought-after sports watches in contemporary horology: the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116500LN in stainless steel with a black dial and matching black ceramic bezel.

Introduced at Baselworld 2016, the reference 116500LN represented the most significant evolution of the Daytona in over a decade. Rolex replaced the polarising aluminium bezel insert with a scratch-resistant Cerachrom ceramic unit, retaining the tachymeter scale in platinum-coated relief. The 40mm Oyster case houses the in-house Calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch offering smooth engagement and a 72-hour power reserve — a movement widely regarded as one of the finest chronograph ebauches in series production.

The black dial variant of the 116500LN carries particular collector cachet. Subdials are rendered in a contrasting panda-inverse configuration — silver registers on black — and the overall legibility is exceptional under varied lighting. The combination of black ceramic bezel and black dial gives the watch a purposeful, tool-watch aesthetic that the white-dial version does not replicate. This specific configuration consistently commands a premium on the secondary market.

Pique, who spent the bulk of his career at FC Barcelona and earned over 100 caps for the Spanish national team including a World Cup winner's medal in 2010, has long been associated with premium lifestyle brands. His choice of the Daytona 116500LN at this particular moment — amid a high-profile personal transition following retirement — is consistent with the watch's positioning as a milestone acquisition. The Daytona has historically been a footballer's watch of choice, from Paul Pogba to Cristiano Ronaldo.

On the market, the 116500LN with black dial has become a textbook example of demand vastly outpacing supply. Official Rolex retail sits at approximately $14,550 USD, yet the reference has traded consistently between $28,000 and $38,000 USD on the grey market since its release, with premiums fluctuating alongside broader watch market sentiment. Acquiring one at retail from an authorised dealer remains exceptionally difficult, reinforcing both its desirability and its status as a genuine collector's piece.