Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic spotted wearing Rolex

Ahead of a high-stakes UEFA Champions League fixture between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was photographed with the Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Ref. 116655 on his wrist — a watch that, much like its wearer, refuses to blend into the background.

The Rolex Yacht-Master 40 Reference 116655 occupies a singular position in the current Rolex catalogue. It is the sole 40mm Yacht-Master offered exclusively in 18-carat Everose gold, Rolex's proprietary rose gold alloy that incorporates platinum to prevent the colour from fading over time. The 40mm Oystersteel case is replaced entirely by the warm, durable precious metal, while the signature Oysterflex bracelet — a black elastomer strap over a titanium and Nickel alloy blade — provides the kind of wrist security and comfort that a solid gold bracelet rarely can. The bi-directional rotatable bezel is set with Rolex's Cerachrom ceramic insert in the same Everose hue, engraved with the 60-minute scale. Inside runs the calibre 3135, a perpetual, self-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve, Parachrom hairspring, and COSC-certified chronometric precision — a movement Rolex deployed across its core sports lines for decades before transitioning newer references to the calibre 3235.

Launched in 2015, the 116655 quickly established itself as the prestige tier of the Yacht-Master family. The all-Everose execution, combined with the then-new Oysterflex bracelet making its public debut on this very reference, generated immediate collector interest. It signals that Rolex was willing to pair haute-matière watchmaking with genuine ergonomic innovation.

For Ibrahimovic, the choice is coherent. The Swedish striker has long favoured watches that project authority without resorting to complication for its own sake. The Yacht-Master 116655 is unambiguously expensive and immediately legible as such, yet it wears as a sports watch — exactly the register a professional athlete operating at the highest level tends to gravitate toward.

On the grey market, the 116655 trades at a modest premium above retail, sustained by consistent demand and the enduring prestige of Rolex's precious metal sports references. It is not a speculative flip piece, but a stable, long-term hold with strong brand equity.