Watch Paparazzi

Politician Francis Joseph Guevarra Escudero spotted wearing Rolex

Filipino Senator Francis Joseph Guevarra Escudero, a lawyer and prominent figure in Philippine politics, was recently photographed wearing a Rolex Daytona in stainless steel, identified as reference 116520 — a watch that needs little introduction in collector circles but rewards closer inspection every time it surfaces on a notable wrist.

Introduced in 2000, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 represented a watershed moment for the Geneva manufacturer. For the first time, Rolex replaced the outsourced Zenith El Primero base with a fully in-house movement: the calibre 4130. That self-winding chronograph movement, beating at 28,800 vph, featured a column wheel and vertical clutch — a technical architecture that improved precision and reduced wear on the chronograph mechanism. The 40mm stainless steel case paired with a black or white dial option gave the reference a clean, motorsport-derived aesthetic that had defined the Daytona line since the 1960s.

The 116520 remained in production until approximately 2016, when Rolex phased it out in favour of the updated ref. 116500LN, which introduced a ceramic bezel. That transition effectively closed the chapter on the last Daytona to feature an aluminium bezel, instantly elevating the 116520's desirability among collectors who prize the cleaner, sportier look of the older configuration. White-dial examples — sometimes nicknamed the "Panda" — and black-dial "reverse Panda" variants both attract fierce competition at auction and on the secondary market.

Senator Escudero, who has served in both the House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate and is currently Governor of Sorsogon, is known as a well-dressed public figure. His choice of the Daytona 116520 reflects a preference for a watch that sits firmly in the canon of serious horology without veering into the overtly flashy — appropriate for someone whose public image balances authority with accessibility.

On the market, the stainless steel Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 commands a substantial grey-market premium over its original retail price of around $12,400 USD. Depending on dial colour, condition, and whether full documentation is present, examples regularly trade between $22,000 and $32,000 USD on the secondary market — sometimes higher for pristine, early production pieces. It remains one of the safest long-term holds in modern watch collecting.