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Footballer Michy Batshuayi spotted wearing Rolex

Michy Batshuayi was pictured celebrating Chelsea's 2016–17 Premier League title wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116520 in stainless steel with a black dial — a pairing that, even at the time of the photograph, was already commanding significant premiums on the secondary market.

The ref. 116520 entered production in 2000, replacing the earlier 16520 and introducing Rolex's in-house Calibre 4130 movement — a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch and a 72-hour power reserve. Beating at 28,800 vph, the 4130 is widely regarded as one of the most robust and accurate chronograph ebauches in the industry, a meaningful step forward from the Zenith El Primero-derived movement used in its predecessor. The 40mm oyster case pairs with a tachymetric bezel in 18k white gold, and the black dial variant offered stark contrast against polished subdials at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock.

Rolex discontinued the 116520 in 2016, replacing it with the ceramic-bezel 116500LN. That transition instantly elevated the steel 116520 to legacy status among collectors. The black dial configuration is particularly sought after — white dial examples were somewhat more available at authorised dealers, but the black dial remained chronically waitlisted throughout the reference's production life.

Batshuayi joined Chelsea in the summer of 2016 and scored the title-clinching goal against West Bromwich Albion in May 2017 — a moment that cemented his place in the club's history regardless of subsequent loan moves. Celebrating with a ref. 116520 on the wrist is entirely on-brand for a young Premier League winner: the Daytona has functioned as the default luxury milestone watch for professional footballers for over two decades.

At the time of the sighting, UK list price sat at £7,950 — but authorised dealer availability was essentially zero. Grey market values for the steel black-dial 116520 were already trading at multiples of retail, and today the reference commands serious collector attention as a closed chapter in Rolex's production history. Expect prices to remain firm as the 116500LN's own production evolves.