Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Henrik Larsson spotted wearing Rolex

Henrik Larsson, the Swedish striker whose goals at Celtic and FC Barcelona cemented his place among European football's all-time greats, has been photographed wearing one of Rolex's most technically complex and least commercially ubiquitous references — the Yacht-Master II ref. 116689 in 18ct white gold and platinum.

Introduced at Baselworld 2007, the Yacht-Master II was Rolex's bold statement in the world of high-complication sport watches. The ref. 116689 is the prestige tier of the range, crafted in 18ct white gold with a bezel insert in solid platinum — a combination that gives the 44mm case a cool, weighty presence on the wrist. The watch runs on the manufacture calibre 4161, a self-winding movement featuring a programmable mechanical countdown regatta timer with a ring command bezel system. Sailors can preset the countdown sequence from one to ten minutes, synchronise with the race committee's signals, and reset without interrupting the ongoing count. It is a genuine functional complication, not a cosmetic exercise.

The calibre 4161 took Rolex several years to develop and contains 361 components. The column-wheel mechanism and the bidirectional programmability of the bezel make it unlike anything else in the Rolex lineup. Power reserve sits at approximately 72 hours, and the movement is certified as a Superlative Chronometer to COSC-plus standards.

Among collectors, the ref. 116689 occupies a curious position. It is expensive, sizeable at 44mm, and overtly sporty — qualities that limit its audience compared to the Daytona or sports Submariner. Yet that same specificity makes it a genuine connoisseur's choice. White gold Yacht-Master IIs rarely surface in secondary market volumes, lending them a quiet rarity that appreciates over time rather than exploding dramatically.

Larsson's choice aligns with the watch's character: understated for its price point, technically serious, and unlikely to be worn for status signalling alone. Retail pricing in the UK sits around £33,000, with grey-market valuations broadly in line or modestly above given the model's measured but steady desirability among informed buyers.