Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Luis Figo spotted wearing Rolex

Luis Figo, the Ballon d'Or winner and former Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan maestro, was recently photographed wearing one of the most visually arresting timepieces Rolex produces — the Daytona 116588SACO in 18K Everose gold, set with a full complement of orange sapphires around the bezel and diamond hour markers on the dial, mounted on Rolex's rubber OysterFlex bracelet.

The Rolex Daytona 116588SACO sits at the apex of Rolex's gem-set Daytona family. The reference was introduced as part of Rolex's broader push into high-jewellery complications, sharing its Calibre 4130 automatic movement — a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch and approximately 72-hour power reserve — with the standard steel and gold Daytona lineup. What separates the 116588SACO is the factory gem-setting: 36 round-cut orange sapphires pavé the 40mm Everose gold bezel, while 11 diamond hour markers punctuate the black dial. The OysterFlex strap, a vulcanised rubber blade with a flexible metallic spine, provides wearability that a traditional Oyster bracelet cannot match on a watch of this weight and price point.

Among collectors, the 116588SACO carries genuine rarity credentials. Rolex produced it in limited quantities and it circulated with little official fanfare — hence the 'silent release' designation that has attached itself to the reference in collector circles. Orange sapphires, rarer than blue in the gem trade, give the piece a warm chromatic tension against the Everose gold case that photographs exceptionally well. Demand consistently outstrips secondary-market supply.

Figo, now 51 and active as a UEFA and sporting ambassador, has long been associated with luxury timepieces befitting his status as one of football's most decorated technicians. The 116588SACO is not an understated choice — it is the watch of someone who understands both the mechanics and the theatre of haute horology.

At a UK list price of £114,000 (approximately $143,000 at prevailing rates), the Daytona 116588SACO commands significant grey-market premiums when it surfaces. Secondary transactions for confirmed examples have been recorded well above retail, reflecting both the gem-set scarcity and the enduring commercial gravity of the Daytona name. For collectors tracking stone-set Rolex references, this sighting is a useful reminder that the 116588SACO remains one of the brand's most covetable — and least visible — references in the wild.