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Footballer Mario Suárez Mata spotted wearing Rolex

Caught at a football press conference — likely during his time at Atlético de Madrid or Fiorentina given the backdrop signage — Spanish midfielder Mario Suárez Mata had a Rolex Submariner Date two-tone firmly on his wrist. The combination of a navy blue dial against a mixed steel-and-gold Oyster bracelet is unmistakable, and it slots neatly into the long tradition of professional footballers gravitating toward the Sub as their statement off-pitch timepiece.

The reference in question is almost certainly the Rolex Submariner Date 16613, produced from 1988 through to 2010 when it was discontinued in favour of the ceramic-bezelled 116613LB. The 16613 pairs a 40mm Oyster case in 904L stainless steel with solid 18k yellow gold crown guards, bezel, and Jubilee or Oyster bracelet elements. The blue aluminium bezel insert — anodised, not ceramic — and the matching blue dial with applied gold hour markers are the visual signature. Power comes from Rolex's in-house Cal. 3135, a 28,800 vph movement with Parachrom hairspring and a 48-hour power reserve, long regarded as one of the most reliable mechanical movements in production.

The 16613 has aged into genuine collector desirability. Its aluminium bezel fades and patinas over time in ways the modern ceramic version never will, and that 'tropical' ageing is prized among enthusiasts. The fact that it was discontinued makes clean, unpolished examples increasingly difficult to source. Collectors specifically seek out the 'serti' dial variant and the later 'flat four' dial iterations — details that speak to Rolex's constant incremental evolution within a single reference.

Mario Suárez Mata, the combative central midfielder who made his name at Atlético de Madrid under Diego Simeone and earned over 20 caps for Spain, has always maintained a low-key public profile. The Submariner 16613 suits that register: it is recognisable without being ostentatious, a workhorse with gold accents rather than a full precious-metal statement.

On the grey market, clean examples of the Rolex Submariner Date 16613 with original bracelet and box-and-papers trade steadily between $12,000 and $16,000 USD depending on condition and dial variant. The two-tone 'Bluesy' configuration consistently commands a premium over its steel counterpart, a gap that has widened as the reference recedes further into discontinued status.