Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Angel Di Maria spotted wearing Rolex

Ángel Di María touched down in Argentina as a World Cup winner and, on his wrist, one of the hardest watches to actually buy at retail: the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116500LN in stainless steel with a black Cerachrom bezel and white 'Panda' dial. The timing of the sighting — amid the euphoria of Argentina's first World Cup triumph since 1986 — makes it one of the more memorable football-and-watch moments in recent memory.

Rolex introduced the ref. 116500LN at Baselworld 2016, replacing the longstanding ref. 116520. The headline change was the adoption of a black Cerachrom ceramic bezel, Rolex's proprietary scratch-resistant, UV-stable material that had already proven itself on the Submariner and GMT-Master II families. Powering the watch is the Calibre 4130, an in-house chronograph movement built on a column-wheel and vertical clutch architecture — widely regarded as one of the most refined and reliable mechanical chronograph ebauches in production. The movement runs at 28,800 vph, offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve, and is certified as a Superlative Chronometer to ±2 seconds per day. Case diameter sits at 40mm in Oystersteel, with a sapphire crystal and Oyster bracelet completing the build.

The 'Panda' dial configuration — white base with black registers — is the more collector-coveted of the two dial options alongside the inverse 'reverse Panda.' Its high contrast and vintage racing heritage associations trace back to the Paul Newman Daytona era, lending the modern ceramic-bezel reference a lineage that resonates strongly with serious collectors. Since its release, the 116500LN has never been easy to acquire through authorised dealers, with waitlists stretching years at most boutiques.

Di María's relationship with the Daytona fits the profile of a footballer who has long favoured understated horological choices relative to some of his peers. The World Cup win — in which he delivered a decisive performance in the final against France — provides the kind of biographical context that collectors and future auction houses tend to note.

On the secondary market, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116500LN white dial currently trades well above its £12,150 list price, with grey-market valuations sitting around $34,000 USD — a premium that underscores just how structurally undersupplied this reference remains despite years of production.