Football manager Claudio Ranieri spotted wearing a Rolex

The setting was Trigoria, AS Roma's training ground, during the deeply emotional farewell of club legend Daniele De Rossi — a scene that drew Italy's football world to a standstill. Among those present was Claudio Ranieri, one of the most respected managers in the game, photographed by Sky Sport wearing a stainless steel Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116500LN with its signature black ceramic bezel. A fitting watch for a man who has navigated the highs and lows of football with quiet, enduring authority.

Introduced at Baselworld 2016, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500LN represented the most significant evolution of the Daytona line since the calibre 4130 movement arrived in 2000. The black Cerachrom ceramic bezel replaced the aluminium unit, offering vastly improved resistance to scratches and UV fading. Beneath the dial, the in-house calibre 4130 automatic chronograph movement — renowned for its robustness and relatively simple architecture of just 44 jewels — delivers a 72-hour power reserve. The ref. 116500LN is offered with either a white or black dial; Ranieri's configuration appears to be the black-dial variant, a combination that gives the 40mm Oystersteel case a particularly purposeful, monochromatic presence.

From a collector standpoint, the 116500LN is arguably the defining grail watch of the past decade. Demand has consistently and dramatically outpaced supply since its debut, making an authorised dealer purchase effectively impossible for most buyers without a substantial purchase history. The ceramic Daytona sits at the intersection of motorsport heritage — the model was born from Rolex's association with endurance racing at Daytona International Speedway in the 1960s — and modern manufacture watchmaking.

Ranieri himself needs little introduction. The Roman-born tactician, whose career spans clubs across Europe and beyond, carries the quiet confidence of someone entirely unbothered by fashion cycles. A classic stainless steel Daytona on the wrist at an emotionally charged football farewell says precisely that.

On the secondary market, the 116500LN continues to command a substantial premium over its official list price. Retail in Europe sits around €12,600, while grey-market prices remain firmly elevated, reflecting persistent demand and constrained supply with no signs of correction.