Footballer Robin Van Persie spotted wearing a Rolex

Robin Van Persie, the former Arsenal, Manchester United and Netherlands striker widely regarded as one of the finest forwards of his generation, was photographed pitchside — dressed in a white Adidas training kit and giving a thumbs-up — with a striking timepiece on his left wrist. Close inspection reveals the unmistakable ice-blue dial and chocolate brown Cerachrom bezel of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 50th Anniversary in platinum, reference 116506.

Introduced at Baselworld 2013 to mark the Daytona's half-century, the ref. 116506 holds a singular place in the modern Rolex catalogue as one of only two Daytonas ever cased in 950 platinum. Rolex chose the occasion deliberately: platinum is the brand's most prestigious metal, and the ice-blue dial — a shade the Geneva manufacture reserves exclusively for platinum-cased sports watches — signals the material without a word of explanation. The 40 mm case houses the in-house Calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch, 72-hour power reserve and COSC-certified precision. The brown Cerachrom bezel insert, virtually scratch-proof and impervious to UV fading, was another first for the Daytona line at launch.

From a collector's standpoint, the 116506 occupies rarefied air. Production numbers are deliberately constrained — platinum demands longer machining times and tighter tolerances — and Rolex has never opened allocation freely. The watch shipped with either an Oyster bracelet or an alligator strap; Van Persie's appears to be on the Oyster, which adds wearability to what could otherwise read as a purely dressy piece.

Van Persie, who retired from professional football in 2019 and has since moved into coaching and media work, has long maintained a taste for fine watches. Spotting a 116506 on a footballer's wrist is notable: at a retail price of $65,000 and grey-market premiums pushing well above that, this is a watch that demands considered ownership rather than impulse purchase.

The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116506 currently trades on the secondary market at significant premiums over retail, reflecting both its platinum construction and its status as a commemorative reference unlikely to be replicated. For any serious collector, it remains a benchmark acquisition.