Watch Paparazzi

Royal Moulay Hassan spotted wearing Rolex

At a formal royal ceremony in Morocco, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan was photographed wearing what is unmistakably a Rolex Yacht-Master II in 18k yellow gold — a watch that commands attention not through subtlety but through genuine mechanical ambition. Dressed in a cream djellaba and red fez, the young heir's wrist choice offered a rare glimpse into the horological tastes of one of the Arab world's most prominent royal families.

The watch in question is almost certainly the Rolex Yacht-Master II reference 116688, introduced in 2013 as the all-gold iteration of a model Rolex first launched in 2007. The 44mm case is rendered entirely in 18k yellow gold, paired with an Oyster bracelet in the same metal and secured by a fold-over Oysterclasp. Its defining feature is the blue Cerachrom ceramic bezel — scratch-resistant and UV-stable — engraved with a graduated 0-to-10 countdown scale filled with gold lacquer. The white lacquer dial carries large Arabic numerals in gold, a red-tipped regatta triangle at 12 o'clock, and a sub-register at 6 for the programmable countdown display.

Powering the 116688 is Rolex's in-house calibre 4161, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a patented Ring Command bezel system: rotating the bezel physically couples to the movement to set the countdown duration, a mechanical interface unique to this reference family. Power reserve stands at approximately 72 hours. This is not a complication added for marketing purposes — it is a genuine, purpose-built regatta timer mechanism with no direct equivalent at this price tier.

Among collectors, the all-gold 116688 occupies a specific niche: too large and sporty for traditional dress-watch circles, yet too precious-metal-heavy for hardcore sailing purists. That tension, paradoxically, sustains its desirability. Grey market pricing has remained firm, typically trading at or modestly above retail.

Moulay Hassan, born in 2003, is the elder son of King Mohammed VI and Princess Lalla Salma, and has been increasingly visible at state functions. His choice of the Rolex Yacht-Master II 116688 — a watch retailing above $43,000 and requiring genuine mechanical knowledge to appreciate — signals a considered horological sensibility rather than mere inherited extravagance.