Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Ian Wright spotted wearing Rolex

Ian Wright, former Arsenal and England striker and now a fixture on BBC's Match of the Day, was recently spotted wearing one of the most architecturally serious watches in the Rolex catalogue — the Cosmograph Daytona reference 116506 in 950 platinum, complete with an ice blue dial set with eight baguette-cut diamond hour markers and three additional diamond-set subsidiary dial markers direct from the factory.

The Rolex Daytona 116506 was introduced at Baselworld 2013 to celebrate the Cosmograph Daytona's 50th anniversary. It marked a decisive moment in the model's history: Rolex had never before produced the Daytona in platinum. The case and bracelet are crafted entirely from 950 platinum, and the watch is powered by the in-house calibre 4130, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch, offering approximately 72 hours of power reserve. The movement is rhodium-plated and finished to a standard that matches the rarity of the case metal.

The ice blue dial is not a marketing choice — it is a Rolex house rule. The manufacturer uses this restrained, slightly grey-toned blue exclusively on platinum models, functioning as an instant material identifier for those who know the code. The factory diamond set version seen on Wright's wrist elevates the reference further. The eight baguette-cut hour markers are precision-set at the factory in Geneva, each individually selected for clarity and colour consistency, replacing the standard applied hour markers on production examples.

From a collector standpoint, the 116506 occupies rare ground: it is simultaneously a tool watch in movement architecture and a jewellery-grade piece in execution. It never appears in large numbers on the secondary market, and when it does, condition and originality of the diamond setting command a significant premium over standard dial variants. The reference has held and grown its value with notable consistency since discontinuation.

At a UK list price of £65,700, the Rolex Daytona 116506 sits at the apex of the brand's production catalogue. On the grey market, demand for platinum Daytona examples routinely pushes realised prices considerably above retail. Ian Wright's choice signals a collector sensibility that goes well beyond a recognisable name on a dial.