Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Mohammed Salah spotted wearing Roger Dubuis

Mohammed Salah touched down in Paris for the Champions League Final wearing a watch that commands almost as much attention as the man himself — the black PVD Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Pirelli Skeleton, reference RDDBEX0747, limited to 88 pieces worldwide. The choice of all-black attire and a matte-finish timepiece on one of sport's most scrutinised wrists made for an understated but knowing entrance.

The RDDBEX0747 is built around Roger Dubuis's calibre RD505SQ, a manually wound skeletonised movement bearing the Poinçon de Genève hallmark — one of the most demanding quality certifications in Swiss watchmaking, requiring every component, including bridges and plates, to meet strict finishing standards. The 45mm case is executed in black PVD-treated titanium, keeping the piece aggressive in aesthetics but relatively light on the wrist. The signature spider-leg bridges, now rendered entirely in black, frame open-worked mechanics that draw a direct visual parallel to Pirelli's P Zero tyre structure. Even the strap references the partnership: a rubber band incorporating Pirelli's tread pattern runs the full length of the watch.

The Excalibur Spider Pirelli collaboration launched as Roger Dubuis deepened its relationship with the Italian tyre manufacturer, a pairing that sounds gimmicky on paper but holds up technically. Pirelli supplied material and design consultation; Dubuis delivered Geneva-hallmarked movement finishing on a skeleton architecture that genuinely rewards close inspection. The 88-piece limitation is not arbitrary — it references the brand's favoured numerology and keeps secondary-market scarcity real.

Salah's watch choices have grown bolder in recent years, moving from conventional luxury sports references toward more idiosyncratic haute horlogerie. Selecting the RDDBEX0747 for a Champions League Final arrival — one of club football's most photographed moments — suggests deliberate curation rather than coincidence. The black-on-black execution reads quietly on camera but lands loudly among collectors.

On the secondary market, the RDDBEX0747 trades in a range close to its $70,500 list price, occasionally trending slightly above given the 88-piece cap and the watch's continued visibility on high-profile wrists. Roger Dubuis remains a marque that polarises collectors, but pieces bearing both the Poinçon de Genève and a credible industrial collaboration hold their ground. For a watch associated with football's biggest stage, the timing of this sighting could only help.