Actor Taika Waititi spotted wearing a Rolex

Spotted on location in what appears to be a European city setting, Taika Waititi — the New Zealand filmmaker behind Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit, and What We Do in the Shadows — was photographed wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in 18k yellow gold, almost certainly reference 116508 with a striking black dial and champagne-gold subsidiary registers. The watch was sourced through @theswisscollectorofficial, a Mondani Web trusted dealer, adding provenance authenticity to the sighting.

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116508 is powered by the in-house Calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch that Rolex introduced in 2000 to replace the Zenith-based 4030. The 4130 offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve, exceptional reliability, and chronometric precision certified by COSC. The 40mm case in 18k yellow gold features a tachymetric bezel in matching gold, and the black dial with champagne-gold chronograph counters creates a high-contrast, legible layout that collectors describe as one of the most visually coherent dial combinations in the lineup.

From a collector standpoint, the yellow gold Daytona occupies a distinctive position. It does not carry the waiting-list mythology of the stainless steel 116500LN, but it commands serious respect as a wearable luxury statement. The black dial variant in particular draws subtle visual references to the legendary Paul Newman-era Daytonas of the 1960s and 1970s, and its rarity in everyday wear makes any public sighting noteworthy.

Waititi's choice is consistent with a creative personality unafraid of bold gestures — the all-gold Daytona is unapologetically maximalist while remaining technically grounded in one of watchmaking's most respected chronograph platforms. He wears it casually, on a slim wrist, without affectation.

On the grey market, the 116508 in black dial commands a significant premium over its already substantial retail price, with authenticated examples regularly trading between $40,000 and $55,000 depending on condition and completeness of set. Rolex discontinued the 116508 in favor of the updated 126508 in 2023, making existing references increasingly collectible by the week.