Pilot Valentino Rossi spotted wearing a Rolex

Valentino Rossi is no stranger to precise, high-performance machinery — on two wheels or on his wrist. Photographed at what appears to be a MotoGP paddock during his tenure with the Petronas Yamaha SRT team, 'The Doctor' is wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in 18k white gold, reference 116509, fitted with a striking blue dial and the signature white gold Oyster bracelet. The combination of cool-toned metal and deep blue registers immediately, even at paddock pace.

The reference 116509 is the 18k white gold iteration of the modern 40mm Daytona family introduced progressively from 2000 onward, powered by Rolex's in-house Calibre 4130 — a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph movement celebrated for its smooth engagement and excellent reliability. The movement offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve and operates at 28,800 vph. The tachymetric scale engraved directly into the bezel, three-register chronograph layout, and screw-down pushers are all textbook Daytona architecture. The blue dial variant features contrasting red-tipped chronograph seconds hand and red accents on the sub-registers, giving it a subtle sportiness rarely seen on white gold watches at this tier.

Collector appetite for the 116509 in blue has grown considerably over the past decade. Where stainless steel Daytonas dominate headlines for scarcity, white gold references attract a different buyer — one prioritising material rarity over waiting-list drama. Blue dial examples in particular hold a premium on secondary markets, prized for their versatility and relative restraint compared to the more flamboyant yellow gold variants.

Rossi's affinity for Rolex is well documented across his career. A rider who raced with clinical precision across nine world championship titles, Rossi gravitates toward timepieces with motorsport DNA — and few watches carry that heritage more credibly than the Daytona, a model born from Le Mans endurance culture and TAG Heuer-era rivalry.

At retail, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116509 in white gold with blue dial listed in the $36,000–$40,000 range before Rolex's subsequent reference updates. On the grey market, demand for this specific dial and case metal combination pushes values notably higher, with clean examples regularly trading above retail — a testament to the enduring collector respect for the white gold Daytona blue dial combination.