Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Javier Chicharito Hernández spotted wearing Rolex

Courtside at a Los Angeles Clippers game, LA Galaxy forward Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández drew eyes not only for his boldly printed shirt but for an extraordinary timepiece on his wrist: the Artisans De Genève 'Barrichello Gold Project' — a fully bespoke skeletonised Rolex Daytona executed in 18k Everose gold. It is one of the Geneva customisation atelier's most technically ambitious and visually dramatic creations, and spotting it in the wild remains a rare event.

Artisans De Genève built this piece on the Rolex Daytona reference 116505, the brand's in-house Everose gold chronograph that houses the manufacture Calibre 4130 — a column-wheel, vertical-clutch movement with a 72-hour power reserve widely regarded as one of the finest chronograph movements in series production. The atelier's craftsmen hand-skeletonised the dial and movement bridges, removing material to expose the gear train and oscillating weight while preserving structural integrity and COSC-level timing performance. The black ceramic tachymetre bezel — substituted for the original Everose ceramic unit on the standard 116505 — creates a high-contrast frame that makes the open-worked dial read with exceptional depth. Rose gold applied indices and hands tie the aesthetic back to the case and bracelet.

The project is named in honour of Formula One legend Rubens Barrichello, a long-time collaborator of Artisans De Genève and a keen collector, underscoring the motorsport DNA baked into the Daytona's DNA since Le Mans 1965. The atelier produces work in extremely limited numbers — often single pieces or micro-series — which places this watch in a different category from production references entirely. There is no official retail price because the piece does not exist as a catalogue item; commissions are negotiated directly with the workshop.

For Chicharito, the choice aligns with a well-documented enthusiasm for high-end horology. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen striker has been spotted wearing several significant Rolex references over the years, but the Artisans De Genève collaboration represents a meaningful step into true bespoke territory — a watch whose value is defined by craftsmanship and exclusivity rather than any secondary market listing.

On the open market, base Rolex Daytona 116505 Everose examples trade at meaningful premiums over their original retail price. Once Artisans De Genève's skeletonisation work is factored in — a process that can add anywhere from $30,000 to $80,000 depending on scope — total acquisition cost for a comparable commission would comfortably exceed $80,000 to $100,000. For a piece tied to the Barrichello name and completed to this specification, provenance alone would command further premium at auction.