Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Dusan Vlahovic spotted wearing Rolex

Dusan Vlahovic, the Juventus and Serbia international striker known as much for his physicality on the pitch as for his composed finishing, was recently spotted wearing a discontinued Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116518 in 18-carat yellow gold — a watch that carries considerably more depth than its glamorous exterior might initially suggest.

The ref. 116518 was produced from approximately 2000 to 2023, spanning a remarkably long production run for a luxury sports chronograph. At its core sits the Rolex calibre 4130, an in-house automatic movement developed entirely by Rolex and introduced precisely to replace the ETA-based Zenith El Primero that had powered earlier Daytona references since 1988. The calibre 4130 operates at 28,800 vph, offers a 72-hour power reserve, and features a column wheel and vertical clutch — a combination that provides a smoother chronograph engagement and near-zero dial jump at start. The case measures 40mm in diameter, water-resistant to 100 metres, fitted here on a brown leather strap with a folding clasp.

The specific dial configuration on Vlahovic's example is the champagne panda variant — a cream/champagne main dial contrasted by black registers at three, six, and nine o'clock. This colour scheme is a deliberate nod to the motorsport heritage that defines the Daytona lineage, recalling the racing instruments of the 1960s. In yellow gold, the combination reads as assertive but classical, a balance the ref. 116518 consistently achieved across its production life.

From a collector's standpoint, the 116518 occupies an interesting position. As a now-discontinued reference replaced by the updated ref. 116518LN and subsequently the ceramic-bezel 116508, original 116518 examples have attracted renewed attention on the secondary market. The champagne dial in particular is considered among the more desirable dial options, appealing to collectors who favour warm, vintage-adjacent aesthetics without sacrificing modern movement architecture.

Vlahovic, 24, has established himself as one of European football's most technically gifted centre-forwards, and his choice of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116518 reflects a taste that skews toward established horological substance rather than novelty. The ref. 116518 carries an official retail price of approximately $35,000 USD, with grey market values for clean examples running notably higher given its discontinued status.