Watch Paparazzi

Rapper Tinnie Tempah spotted wearing Rolex

Tinie Tempah, the London-born rapper behind chart hits 'Pass Out' and 'Written in the Stars', was photographed wearing a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 116520 in stainless steel with a black dial — a pairing that sits at the crossroads of serious horology and street-level cool.

Introduced in 2000, the Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 marked a turning point for the line. It was the first Daytona to house a Rolex-manufactured movement, the Cal. 4130, replacing the long-serving Zenith El Primero-based calibre. The 4130 is a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph beating at 28,800 vph with a 72-hour power reserve — a significant engineering leap. The case measures 40mm in Oystersteel, fitted with a tachymetric bezel and protected by a screw-down chronograph pushers system that gives the watch its characteristic clean profile. The black dial variant features subsidiary registers in matching gloss black, lending it a cohesive, purposeful aesthetic.

The ref. 116520 was officially discontinued in 2016 when Rolex introduced the ceramic-bezelled ref. 116500LN, and that retirement immediately elevated the 116520's desirability among collectors. The steel-on-steel configuration with black dial is widely considered the most wearable and versatile variant — equally at home on a stage or at a board meeting. First-generation examples with 'floating' dial registers attract particular attention from specialist collectors.

Tinie Tempah has consistently demonstrated a sophisticated eye for watches and fashion beyond the typical rapper-and-Rolex narrative. His choices tend toward understated classics rather than showpiece complications, and the 116520 fits that profile precisely — it is a recognisable reference to those who know, without announcing itself aggressively to those who don't.

At original UK list price the 116520 retailed around £7,950, reflecting an era when Rolex sports watches were still theoretically accessible. Today, the grey market tells a very different story. Stainless steel examples in strong condition routinely trade between $18,000 and $22,000 USD depending on service history, box and papers, and dial condition — comfortably double their original retail equivalent. The Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 remains one of the most liquid assets in the secondary watch market.