Singer Michael Buble spotted wearing a Rolex

Michael Bublé has long demonstrated a taste for classic style, and his choice of the Rolex Daytona ref. 116509 in 18K white gold with a black dial is entirely consistent with that aesthetic. The singer was spotted wearing the piece, a combination that manages to feel both understated and undeniably luxurious — exactly the balance the white gold Daytona was designed to strike.

The Rolex Daytona ref. 116509 was introduced in the early 2000s as part of the generation that transitioned from the Zenith El Primero-based calibre to Rolex's fully in-house movement. The calibre 4130, which powers this reference, represents a significant engineering achievement: a column-wheel chronograph with a horizontal clutch, offering improved reliability, a more precise start-stop action, and a notably smooth crown feel. It operates at 28,800 vph and offers a 72-hour power reserve — robust specifications that justify the manufacture's confidence in replacing a beloved ebauche. The 40mm white gold case pairs with a matching white gold Oyster bracelet, and the tachymeter bezel in ceramic-free white gold distinguishes it from the more modern ceramic-bezel ref. 116519LN variants.

Among collectors, the ref. 116509 occupies a precise niche. It predates the ceramic bezel era and is considered by many purists to represent the Daytona at its most refined without the aesthetic shift that ceramic introduced. The black dial configuration — with its contrast subdials — is particularly sought after, offering legibility and a formal character that the white or silver dials do not quite replicate. This reference has been out of production for several years now, which has steadily increased its desirability on the secondary market.

Bublé, who has sold over 75 million records worldwide and built a brand synonymous with sophisticated nostalgia, is a natural fit for a watch with this profile. The Daytona's motorsport heritage and its status as one of the most recognizable luxury sports watches in history align well with someone who has made a career out of timeless material delivered with contemporary polish.

At an official retail price of $37,700, the ref. 116509 was never an impulse purchase. On the grey market today, white gold Daytona examples in strong condition command a meaningful premium, reflecting both the reference's discontinuation and the enduring global appetite for anything bearing the Daytona name.