Chef Iginio Massari spotted wearing a Rolex

Iginio Massari, Italy's most celebrated pastry chef and a familiar face on Italian television, was recently spotted wearing a stainless steel Rolex Datejust 41 ref. 126300 fitted with a dark rhodium dial, smooth bezel, and Oyster bracelet — a configuration that reads as a deliberately conservative choice from a man whose professional reputation rests on exacting standards.

The Datejust 41 ref. 126300 was introduced in 2016 as part of Rolex's broader overhaul of the Datejust family, replacing the ref. 116300. At its heart sits the Calibre 3235, one of Rolex's most significant modern movements. The self-winding manufacture calibre incorporates the Chronergy escapement — a nickel-phosphorus lever and escape wheel pairing that improves efficiency by roughly 15 percent over conventional Swiss lever designs — alongside a Parachrom hairspring and a Syloxi silicon balance spring variant in select references. Power reserve stands at approximately 70 hours. The case measures 41mm in Oystersteel, Rolex's proprietary 904L stainless steel alloy, with a sapphire crystal and screw-down crown delivering 100 metres of water resistance.

The dark rhodium dial is one of the more distinguished options in the 126300 catalogue. Rhodium-plated dials offer a cool, near-gunmetal tone that avoids the flashiness of sunburst lacquers while maintaining unmistakable legibility. Combined with the smooth, unfluted bezel — as opposed to the more decorative fluted variant — and the three-link Oyster bracelet with Easylink extension, this configuration positions the watch firmly in sport-adjacent classic territory rather than outright dress-watch formality.

Among collectors, the ref. 126300 occupies a sensible middle ground: accessible enough to wear daily without anxiety, technically accomplished enough to satisfy those who follow movement architecture, and visually neutral enough to transcend trend cycles. It is not a watch that generates auction headlines, but it rarely disappoints as a long-term companion piece.

Massari's choice aligns naturally with his public persona — disciplined, precise, not given to ostentation. The Rolex Datejust 41 ref. 126300 in dark rhodium is exactly the kind of watch a man who has spent six decades perfecting laminated dough might reach for: reliable, refined, and completely devoid of unnecessary noise.