Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Lionel Messi spotted wearing Rolex

Lionel Messi was recently photographed wearing a stainless steel Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN with a black ceramic bezel and white dial — one of the most consistently in-demand watches in the modern Rolex catalogue, and a piece that has spent the better part of a decade on waiting lists at authorised dealers worldwide.

Introduced at Baselworld 2016, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN represented a meaningful evolution of the Daytona lineage. It replaced the earlier ref. 116520, swapping the aluminium bezel insert for Rolex's proprietary Cerachrom ceramic, which resists UV fading, corrosion, and everyday abrasion far more effectively than its predecessor. The case measures 40mm in diameter, water-resistant to 100 metres, and houses the in-house calibre 4130 — a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch, offering approximately 72 hours of power reserve and COSC chronometer certification. The white dial configuration pairs a clean opaline subdial layout with contrasting black registers, a combination that has attracted the 'Panda' nickname from collectors drawing parallels to vintage Daytona references.

From a collector standpoint, the 116500LN occupies a rare position: it is simultaneously a current-production reference and a grey-market trophy. Since its debut, demand has far outstripped Rolex's supply allocation to retailers, pushing secondary market premiums to two and sometimes three times the official list price. The white-dial version commands a modest premium over the black dial variant, driven by slightly stronger desirability among both new collectors and seasoned enthusiasts.

Messi's watch choices have long skewed toward serious horology rather than novelty. He has been linked to Rolex, Jacob & Co., and Audemars Piguet pieces over the years, but a clean stainless Daytona signals an appreciation for restraint — a watch that carries weight in collector rooms without announcing itself loudly in a crowd.

At official retail, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN lists at approximately $14,870 USD, though acquiring one at that price through authorised channels remains an exercise in patience. On the grey market, current valuations sit firmly around $41,000 USD, a premium that has proved remarkably stable despite broader market corrections across other steel sports references since 2022.