Watch Paparazzi

Actor Al Pacino spotted wearing Rolex

Al Pacino has never been a man who courts attention through accessories — yet here he is, wearing one of the most iconic dive watches ever produced. The Rolex Submariner Date reference 16610 sits on his wrist with the understated confidence of a piece chosen for permanence, not fashion cycles. For a man whose career has spanned half a century of cinema, the choice feels entirely fitting.

The Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16610 entered production in 1988 as the successor to the ref. 16800, and remained in Rolex's catalog until 2010, when it was replaced by the ceramic-bezel ref. 116610. Cased in 904L Oyster steel at 40mm, it houses the caliber 3135 automatic movement — a workhorse perpetually praised for its bidirectional rotor, integrated Parachrom hairspring (introduced in later production runs), and Rolex's Microstella regulation system delivering accuracy to +/-2 seconds per day. The unidirectional rotating bezel features a 60-minute graduated insert in aluminum — the last generation of Submariners to use this material before the switch to Cerachrom. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres.

Among collectors, the ref. 16610 occupies a specific and enduring sweet spot. It represents the final evolution of the "classic" Submariner before the ceramic era fundamentally changed the watch's aesthetic. Transitional details — including the shift from glossy to matte dials and the late introduction of the Parachrom hairspring — give sub-variants genuine collector traction. The 16610LV "Kermit," with its green bezel, commands particular premiums, but the standard black-dial 16610 remains the definitive reference point for the model.

Pacino's history with Rolex predates this sighting by decades. He has been photographed and filmed wearing Rolex references throughout his career, making his choice less a celebrity endorsement and more a personal conviction. For a man who came of age in the 1970s — when a Submariner was simply what serious men wore — the 16610 reads as continuity rather than nostalgia.

On the grey market, the Rolex Submariner Date ref. 16610 trades at healthy premiums over its original retail price, reflecting sustained global demand and the model's retirement from Rolex's active lineup. Condition, service history, and the presence of original box and papers drive significant value variation — but even unpapered examples hold their ground firmly.