Watch Paparazzi

Athlete Martin Røymark spotted wearing Rolex

Martin Røymark, the Norwegian professional ice hockey forward, was recently photographed wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116520 — a watch that needs little introduction in collector circles but rewards closer inspection every time it surfaces on a notable wrist.

The Daytona 116520 was introduced at Baselworld 2000 and represented a watershed moment for Rolex. It marked the manufacture's decisive move away from sourced movements, replacing the Zenith El Primero-based Calibre 4030 with the entirely in-house Calibre 4130 — a column-wheel chronograph movement featuring a vertical clutch and a 72-hour power reserve. The architecture was designed from the ground up for precision and long-term serviceability, and it delivered. Cased in 904L stainless steel at 40mm, the 116520 featured a sapphire crystal, screw-down pushers, and the signature Oyster bracelet with an Oysterclasp. Dial variants — white or black — became the defining aesthetic choice for a generation of buyers.

From a collector standpoint, the 116520 occupies a particularly interesting position. Produced until 2016, when it was succeeded by the 116500LN featuring a ceramic bezel, the 116520 is now firmly in vintage-adjacent territory. Early examples with tropical dials or so-called "floating cosmograph" text command significant premiums on the secondary market. Even standard production pieces have appreciated well beyond retail, driven by the reference's combination of mechanical pedigree, iconic design, and finite supply.

Røymark's choice of a Daytona 116520 fits a pattern familiar among professional athletes: a watch with unambiguous horological credibility that reads clearly both on and off the ice. The Daytona's motorsport heritage and chronograph utility align naturally with a sports-oriented lifestyle, and the steel configuration keeps it versatile across contexts.

On the grey market, the Rolex Daytona 116520 currently trades in the $22,000–$27,000 range depending on dial color, condition, and box-and-papers provenance, well above its original retail price. The reference has demonstrated consistent demand even as the ceramic-bezel successor has taken over production, confirming its status as a lasting pillar of the Rolex chronograph lineage.