Watch Paparazzi

Boxer Canelo Álvarez spotted wearing Rolex

Canelo Álvarez stepped into AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to dismantle Billy Joe Saunders in front of a record-breaking indoor boxing crowd, and he did so with the quiet confidence of a man who needed no extra ornamentation — except, of course, for the 18K yellow gold Rolex Daytona Reference 116508 on his wrist. The sighting fits a pattern: Canelo has long used high-horology as a personal signature, and the Daytona 116508 is precisely the kind of statement piece that rewards closer inspection.

The Rolex Daytona 116508 sits at the apex of the current-generation Daytona family, which Rolex introduced in its modern form in 2000 with the calibre 4130 movement. That in-house, COSC-certified chronograph ebauche — beating at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve — replaced the Zenith El Primero base that had powered earlier references and immediately earned respect from the mechanical watchmaking community for its column-wheel and vertical clutch architecture. The 40mm Oyster case in 18K yellow gold, paired with a white "panda" dial and tachymetric bezel in matching gold, is one of Rolex's most visually balanced executions in a precious metal.

For collectors, the 116508 white-dial configuration occupies a particularly desirable position. The contrast between the warm yellow gold case and the crisp white dial — with its three black subsidiary registers — has a classical legibility that precious-metal Daytonas in more elaborate dial treatments often sacrifice. Production volumes for gold Daytonas remain tightly controlled, and waitlists at authorised dealers have historically extended well beyond what most buyers are willing to tolerate, feeding sustained grey-market demand.

Canelo Álvarez's relationship with luxury watches is well documented. The Guadalajara native has built one of the most valuable brands in professional sport, and his watch choices — frequently gravitating toward Rolex and Patek Philippe — mirror his preference for established, unimpeachable quality over trend-chasing novelty. Wearing the Daytona 116508 ringside reinforces that aesthetic consistency.

At the time of the sighting, the Rolex Daytona Reference 116508 carried a UK list price of approximately £29,350 (around $41,420 USD). On the secondary market, however, the reference was already trading at a meaningful premium, with grey-market valuations placing it closer to £37,000 — approximately $52,215 USD — reflecting the enduring supply-demand imbalance that characterises the entire Daytona family in precious metal.