Watch Paparazzi

Actor Gaz Beadle spotted wearing Rolex

Gaz Beadle, best known for his years on the MTV reality series Geordie Shore, was recently spotted wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference 116523 finished with a black dial and diamond-set hour markers — a combination that sits at the flashier end of the Daytona spectrum while remaining firmly within Rolex's own catalogue.

The ref. 116523 is a two-tone Daytona built on the 40mm Oyster case, pairing a brushed and polished Oystersteel case body with an 18ct yellow gold fixed bezel engraved with the tachymetric scale. The black dial, here fitted with diamond numerals in place of the standard applied indices, draws on a longstanding Rolex option that elevates the reference beyond its motorsport origins. Inside sits the calibre 4130, Rolex's entirely in-house column-wheel chronograph movement introduced with the generation of Daytona that debuted in 2000, replacing the outsourced Zenith El Primero base used in the celebrated ref. 16520. The 4130 offers approximately 72 hours of power reserve and a vertical clutch mechanism for cleaner chronograph engagement.

The Daytona's collector credentials need little introduction. The reference lineage stretches back to 1963, and the 116523 represents the second generation of in-house-movement Daytonas before Rolex updated the family to the current ref. 116500LN in steel and the 116508 in gold. Two-tone Rolesor variants have historically attracted slightly less speculative premium than full-steel models, but diamond-dial examples carry an additional cost at point of sale and hold their configuration premium consistently on the secondary market.

Beadle has demonstrated a consistent appetite for statement luxury watches throughout his public profile, and the 116523 in this specification fits a pattern of choosing pieces that balance brand recognition with personalised detail. The diamond numerals make the watch immediately readable as something beyond the entry-level Daytona, without requiring the full outlay of a precious-metal reference.

At UK retail the 116523 carried a list price in the region of £12,600 during its production run, though the reference is now discontinued and grey-market prices reflect both the Daytona name and the scarcity of discontinued two-tone configurations. Expect to pay a meaningful premium over original retail for clean examples with box and papers.