Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Wiz Khalifa spotted wearing Rolex

Wiz Khalifa has never been shy about his taste for serious horology, and his latest sighting delivers one of the more refined choices in a rapper's watch rotation: the Rolex Daytona reference 116505 in 18kt Everose gold with an ivory-toned dial. It is a watch that rewards closer inspection far more than its relatively restrained exterior suggests.

Introduced as part of Rolex's broader shift toward in-house movement production, the Daytona 116505 replaced the earlier reference 116515 on the Oyster bracelet and cemented itself as the definitive modern Daytona in precious metal. At its core sits the calibre 4130, Rolex's own column-wheel chronograph movement featuring a vertical clutch mechanism for cleaner starts and a 72-hour power reserve — a significant departure from the Zenith-based ebauches that powered earlier Daytonas. The 40mm Everose gold case, Rolex's proprietary rose gold alloy developed to resist fading, houses the movement behind a solid caseback, keeping the architecture utilitarian and purposeful.

The ivory dial configuration — cream-coloured subdials set against a matching main dial — is among the more sought-after variants of the 116505. It offers visual cohesion that the contrasting 'panda' or 'reverse panda' configurations deliberately avoid. Collectors have consistently noted that the monochromatic warmth of the ivory dial reads more formally on the wrist, yet retains the Daytona's motorsport DNA through its tachymetric bezel and pushers.

Wiz Khalifa, known for a watch collection that spans Richard Mille complications and statement Audemars Piguet pieces, wears the 116505 as something closer to an everyday anchor piece — a telling sign of how deeply the Everose Daytona has penetrated serious collecting culture beyond pure investment logic. It signals familiarity with the category rather than a desire to simply spend.

On the market, the Rolex Daytona 116505 commands significant grey-market premiums over its retail price. UK list sits around £29,000, translating to roughly $36,000–$38,000 USD at retail. On the secondary market, ivory dial examples regularly trade between $45,000 and $55,000 USD depending on condition and box-and-papers status — a premium that reflects sustained global demand Rolex has shown no urgency to meet.