Watch Paparazzi

Musician Matoma spotted wearing Rolex

Norwegian DJ and producer Tom Rune Arnesen, better known as Matoma, was photographed in a casual Nike Air tee with a Rolex Yacht-Master 40 riding his wrist — proof that even off the decks, his taste runs toward the considered rather than the flashy. The setting is relaxed, the watch anything but ordinary.

The Rolex Yacht-Master 40 reference 116622 sits at an interesting intersection in the Rolex catalogue: it carries the visual language of a tool watch — rotating bezel, chunky lugs, Oyster bracelet — yet its execution is unambiguously luxury. The 40mm Oystersteel case houses a bidirectional rotatable bezel crafted entirely from solid platinum, giving the watch a two-tone aesthetic without resorting to gold. The blue 'Bleu' dial features applied hour markers and luminescent plots, with a date window at 3 o'clock framed by a Cyclops lens. Power comes from the Rolex Calibre 3135, a self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and chronometer certification from COSC.

Introduced in the mid-1990s, the Yacht-Master has always occupied a slightly ambiguous space — too refined for serious diving, too sporty for the boardroom — but that ambiguity is precisely its appeal. The 116622 in steel-and-platinum has become a collector favourite for buyers who find the all-gold Yacht-Master too conspicuous and the Submariner too common. The platinum bezel naturally work-hardens and scratches differently from steel, developing a lived-in character that enthusiasts genuinely appreciate.

Matoma has built a global following through melodic, sample-heavy productions and high-energy festival sets. His choice of a Rolex Yacht-Master over a more headline-grabbing Daytona or GMT-Master II says something: he's buying quality and subtlety, not spectacle. The 116622 suits someone who knows watches without needing to announce it.

On the grey market, the steel-and-platinum Yacht-Master 116622 has historically traded close to or slightly above retail — demand is steady if not explosive. With Rolex having transitioned to the updated 126622 featuring the Calibre 3235, examples of the 116622 are increasingly sought by collectors who prefer the older case architecture. Current grey-market values hover in the $10,000–$11,500 range depending on condition and papers.