Footballer Luis Figo spotted wearing a Rolex

Luis Figo, widely regarded as one of the most complete footballers of his generation, was recently spotted wearing the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in Oystersteel with a white dial and black ceramic bezel — reference 116500LN. The sighting fits the profile of a man whose career commanded the very top tier of the game, and whose taste in watches appears to match that standard precisely.

The Rolex Daytona 116500LN arrived at Baselworld 2016 and immediately redefined the benchmark for the model. For the first time, Rolex fitted the Daytona's signature tachymetre bezel in cerachrom ceramic — a material virtually impervious to scratching and UV fading. The white-dial variant pairs that black ceramic ring against an opaline subdial layout, giving the watch a clean, high-contrast aesthetic that photographs exceptionally well. Beneath the screw-down pushers and the 40mm Oyster case sits Rolex's Calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch, variable inertia balance, and a 72-hour power reserve — built entirely in-house and regarded as one of the most robust chronograph ebauches in production.

From a collector standpoint, the Rolex Daytona 116500LN occupies a peculiar position: it is simultaneously a current-production reference and one of the hardest watches to buy at retail anywhere in the world. Authorised dealer allocations remain acutely constrained, and the grey market has consistently priced the piece well above list since its introduction. The white-dial version in particular commands a premium over its black-dial sibling, driven by sustained demand from both new collectors and seasoned enthusiasts.

Figo's connection to elite sporting culture makes the choice coherent rather than coincidental. The Portuguese winger won La Liga titles with both Barcelona and Real Madrid, a Champions League medal, and the UEFA European Championship with Portugal in 2016 — the year, incidentally, that the 116500LN launched. A chronograph built around motorsport timing has natural resonance for athletes who understand precision performance.

On the secondary market, the Rolex Daytona 116500LN white dial trades robustly above its official retail price, reflecting a grey-market premium that has persisted for nearly a decade. It remains one of the most liquid and recognisable references in modern horology — a safe, serious, and still deeply desirable piece.