Watch Paparazzi

Television presenter Ellen spotted wearing Rolex

Ellen DeGeneres is no stranger to fine timepieces, and her choice of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116500LN places her firmly among the most watch-literate names in Hollywood. The ceramic Daytona — identifiable by its black monobloc Cerachrom bezel — has become one of the defining sports watch sightings of the past decade, and spotting it on a high-profile wrist never fails to draw attention from the collector community.

Introduced in 2016, the Rolex Daytona 116500LN represented the most significant evolution of the Daytona lineage since the switch to in-house movements. The Cerachrom bezel, machined from virtually scratch-proof ceramic and featuring tachymetric graduations filled with platinum-coated PVD, replaced the aluminium insert that had defined the reference 116520. Powering the watch is Rolex's calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch, offering a 72-hour power reserve and COSC-certified precision. The Oystersteel 40mm case pairs with either a black or white dial — the black dial variant, ref. 116500LN, is considered the more desirable of the two.

From a collector standpoint, the 116500LN occupies rare ground: a current-production Rolex that has generated genuine waiting lists at authorised dealers since the day it launched. The ceramic bezel addressed a long-standing criticism of the aluminium-bezelled predecessors — namely, the susceptibility to fading and scratching — while retaining the clean, legible aesthetic that made the Daytona an icon. Seasoned collectors regard it as the definitive modern Daytona.

Ellen DeGeneres, the Emmy-winning host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, has long favoured quality over ostentation in her personal style. The Daytona ref. 116500LN fits that profile precisely — it reads as a serious watch to those who know, while appearing simply as a clean stainless steel chronograph to the casual observer.

At retail, the Rolex Daytona 116500LN carries a list price of approximately $14,550 USD in the United States. On the grey market, however, demand has consistently pushed transaction prices well above $30,000 — a premium that shows little sign of softening. For a watch that remains nearly impossible to source at an authorised dealer without an established relationship, DeGeneres's Daytona is as covetable as wrist candy gets.