Watch Paparazzi

Royal Marius Borg Høiby spotted wearing Rolex

Marius Borg Høiby, the Norwegian royal-adjacent figure who has maintained a reasonably low profile despite his proximity to the Crown Princess's household, was recently spotted with what appears to be a stainless steel Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116520 on his wrist — black dial, no date, the full package.

Introduced in 2000, the ref. 116520 marked a watershed moment for Rolex. It was the first Daytona to run on an entirely proprietary movement: the calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph with vertical clutch that Rolex developed to replace the outsourced Zenith El Primero architecture used in the previous 16520. The 4130 offers a 72-hour power reserve, operates at 28,800 vph, and is widely praised for its serviceability and long-term reliability. Housed in a 40mm Oyster case in 904L stainless steel, the 116520 features a tachymeter bezel in 18ct gold or steel depending on configuration — the steel version being the more restrained and, paradoxically, the more sought-after.

The black dial variant of the 116520 is considered by many collectors to be the quintessential Daytona expression. Paired with three matching subsidiary registers, the dial carries a timeless legibility that traces directly back to the racing chronographs of the 1960s. Rolex discontinued the 116520 in 2016, replacing it with the 116500LN — which introduced a ceramic bezel — making the all-metal bezel generation a closed chapter in production history.

Marius Borg Høiby occupies an unusual position in Nordic public life. Born before Crown Princess Mette-Marit's marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, he carries no royal title but moves within circles of privilege and occasional media scrutiny. A steel Daytona is neither ostentatious nor invisible — it reads as the choice of someone who knows watches without needing to announce it.

On the secondary market, the ref. 116520 in steel with black dial commands prices well above its original retail. Demand for pre-ceramic Daytonas has strengthened as collectors increasingly value the cleaner aesthetic of the metal bezel generation. Expect to pay a meaningful premium over list for a clean example with original bracelet and papers.