Watch Paparazzi

Tennis player Jannik Sinner spotted wearing Rolex

When Jannik Sinner raised the Sofia Open trophy in 2020, the cameras caught more than a breakthrough victory — they captured a ref. 116610LN Rolex Submariner Date on his wrist, a watch that Rolex had quietly retired just months earlier. The timing gave the sighting an added layer of horological resonance.

The Submariner Date ref. 116610LN debuted in 2010 as the first Submariner to incorporate a Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert, replacing the aluminum bezel that had defined the model for decades. The black unidirectional bezel, virtually scratch-proof and fade-resistant, surrounds a 40mm Oystersteel case housing the calibre 3135 — Rolex's workhorse movement featuring a Parachrom hairspring, Perpetual rotor winding, and a 48-hour power reserve. Water resistance stands at 300 metres. The black dial features applied hour markers with Chromalight luminescence and the signature Cyclops lens magnifying the date at 3 o'clock.

When the ref. 116610LN was superseded by the 126610LN in 2020, collectors took notice. The new model introduced the calibre 3235, a larger 41mm case, and redesigned hands and indices. That generational shift immediately gave the outgoing 116610LN a defined production window — 2010 to 2020 — which collectors value precisely. Examples in unworn condition with full box and papers have held their value firmly on the secondary market, often trading above retail.

Sinner wore the 116610LN at arguably the most important moment of his young career. Winning in Sofia made him the youngest Italian ATP champion in the Open Era, and at the time he was still a teenager navigating his ascent through the rankings. The choice of a classic Submariner — understated, tool-watch functional — fit the narrative of a player who lets results speak louder than spectacle.

On the grey market, the ref. 116610LN continues to command a premium, buoyed by its discontinued status and enduring demand for the Submariner line. For collectors and watch enthusiasts who followed Sinner's rise from those early ATP weeks, this sighting stands as a small footnote in both tennis and watch history.