Footballer Jamie Carragher spotted wearing a Rolex

Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool and England centre-back turned one of British football's sharpest television analysts, was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Daytona reference 116506 in platinum — a watch that quietly ranks among the most desirable production Daytonas Rolex has ever catalogued.

The 116506 was introduced in 2013, marking the 50th anniversary of the Daytona line and representing Rolex's first use of 950 platinum for the Daytona case. The 40mm case houses the in-house calibre 4130, a column-wheel, vertical-clutch movement that replaced the earlier Zenith-based ebauche and has since become the gold standard for chronograph reliability. It offers a 72-hour power reserve, operates at 28,800 vph, and is COSC-certified. The dial is finished in Rolex's signature ice blue — a colour the brand reserves exclusively for its platinum references, creating an immediate visual hierarchy within the catalogue. Eight baguette-cut diamond hour markers replace the standard applied indices, and the brown Cerachrom ceramic bezel, resistant to fading and scratching, gives the watch a warmth that contrasts beautifully with the cool platinum case.

From a collector standpoint, the Daytona 116506 occupies rare ground. Platinum is notoriously difficult to machine and finish, which keeps production volumes low. The combination of the ice blue dial, diamond markers, and brown ceramic bezel on a precious-metal case makes this one of the few references where Rolex simultaneously demonstrates horological engineering, materials science, and aesthetic restraint. It has never been an easy watch to acquire at retail.

Carragher has built a reputation as a serious watch collector over his post-playing career, and the 116506 is a logical centrepiece for any high-level collection. The choice reflects mature taste — this is not a flashy entry-level luxury purchase but a considered acquisition at the top of Rolex's own hierarchy.

The Rolex Daytona 116506 carries a list price of approximately $70,000, but grey-market demand has pushed current valuations to around $135,000 — nearly double retail — underlining just how tightly Rolex controls supply on its platinum offerings and how strongly the market continues to reward it.