Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Luka Modric spotted wearing Rolex

Luka Modric, the Real Madrid and Croatian national team midfielder who in 2018 ended the decade-long Messi-Ronaldo stranglehold on the Ballon d'Or, was photographed wearing a Rolex Daytona in 18K white gold, reference 116519LN, fitted with Rolex's own black rubber strap — a combination that balances precious-metal luxury with genuine wrist practicality.

The 116519LN sits within the white gold tier of the Cosmograph Daytona family, distinguishing itself from the stainless steel 116520 and the Everose 116515LN by its 18K white gold 40mm case and the black Cerachrom ceramic bezel insert introduced with the reference's later production runs. The 'LN' suffix in the reference specifically denotes that ceramic bezel upgrade. Inside runs Calibre 4130, Rolex's in-house column-wheel chronograph movement featuring a vertical clutch for cleaner starts, a 72-hour power reserve, and a COSC-certified rate of +/-2 seconds per day — a movement widely regarded as one of the most technically refined chronograph calibres in production watchmaking.

Among collectors, the 116519LN occupies a compelling position. White gold Daytonas have historically attracted less speculative premium than their steel counterparts, yet the Cerachrom bezel iteration is acknowledged as a meaningful technical and aesthetic upgrade over the earlier sapphire-crystal-coated aluminium bezel versions. The rubber strap configuration adds a sporting dimension that sits authentically on an athlete's wrist without reading as costume.

For Modric, whose 2018 was arguably the greatest single calendar year achieved by any footballer — Champions League title, World Cup Final, Ballon d'Or, FIFA Best Men's Player — the choice of a serious, technically credentialed sports chronograph rather than a showier complication feels consistent with his famously understated public persona.

At the time of the sighting, the UK list price was quoted at £22,150. In the current grey market, white gold Daytona 116519LN examples trade at meaningful premiums over retail, typically in the $38,000–$44,000 range depending on dial configuration, box-and-papers status, and strap fitting — solid appreciation for a reference that never generated the same social-media frenzy as steel Daytonas but has quietly rewarded patient owners.