Watch Paparazzi

Royal Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim spotted wearing Rolex

Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor and one of Southeast Asia's most prominent royal figures, was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116505 'Meteorite' in 18k Everose gold — a reference that commands serious attention both on the wrist and in the collector market.

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116505 is built around the manufacture Calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement developed entirely in-house by Rolex and introduced in 2000. The movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers a 72-hour power reserve, and features a horizontal clutch for precise chronograph engagement. The case measures 40mm in 18k Everose gold — Rolex's proprietary rose gold alloy enhanced with platinum for fade resistance — and pairs with an Oyster bracelet in matching metal. Water resistance is rated to 100 metres.

What sets this specific variant apart is the dial. Rolex sources each dial from the Gibeon meteorite, an iron-nickel mass that fragmented and fell across present-day Namibia approximately 500 million years ago. It was officially classified in 1838. Each slice is unique: an acid-wash treatment reveals the Widmanstätten pattern — the interlocking crystalline structure formed by centuries of extraordinarily slow cosmic cooling — that no manufacturing process can artificially reproduce. Black chronograph sub-dials and rose gold applied hour markers complete the layout, creating a dial that is simultaneously restrained and extraordinary.

Among modern Daytonas, the 116505 'Meteorite' occupies a singular position. Its combination of precious metal, exotic dial material, and Rolex's in-house chronograph movement makes it a reference collectors actively pursue. Production of meteorite-dial variants is limited by the natural availability of suitable Gibeon slices, adding a genuine supply constraint that other luxury watches cannot claim.

Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim has a well-documented appreciation for horology at the highest level. His choice of the Daytona 116505 'Meteorite' reflects a preference for watches that carry intrinsic material significance rather than mere brand prestige. Retailing at $45,750, the reference now trades on the grey market well above $160,000 — a premium that underscores how seriously the collector community values this particular Daytona.